Association
by spopococ
Summary: My eyes simultaneously fell on Cloud's fluent form and Zack's rigid reflection. I could see both of them at the same time. Something about that statement set off a spark of possibility that made very little sense to me." SephirothxCloudxZack ;3 YAOI xD
1. Chapter 1

Here it is. -fanfare music-

Long awaited Sephiroth x Zack x Cloud! Le Woot! xD

It's a POV story, actually. The first chapter is that of Cloud's, simply because I tweaked the blonde a little to suit my own entertainment needs.

Oh yes, this story is for Stoic-Genius, who I think was the most eager for this, and is not so secretly one of my favourite reviewers. :P .:hugsqueezes:.

I really hope people like this, because at the early stages, I'm finding it... fun. :D Like, not smexy as of yet, but _fun_. :3

**Warnings: **This is a **boy x boy x boy** story. **Yaoi, shounen-ai**, whatever way you wish to take it. xP There is a fair bit **coarse language**, because there is in just about everyone of my stories, making me think I am a cuss-head. **Probably a little violence** too, haven't decided yet. But, it seems a recurring theme. **Same with the angst**. I love it. lol.

**AND MAJOR OOC. I'm allowed to play with them as I see fit. If you tell me "this is not how Cloud/Sephiroth/Zack should be", be pre-warned I won't even bother replying. xD**

_Association- Chapter One_

_'Grunt' Strife's point of View._

_Cloud's just a cadet, a grunt, a nobody. So why is it that the dashing Zack Fair has taken an interest in him? As well as this, the young blonde is confused as to how far this interest extends. Could it be all in Cloud's hormonal teenage imagination, or is there something more? And imagine Cloud's surprise when he finds out _just_ who Zack Fair is and who he associates with..._

_I HATE YOU SUMMARY. -SHOOTS-_

--

"Alright class, pop quiz. Let's see how many of you assholes think that they're able to make it to SOLDIER..." Captain Maygar bellowed. I think that he's probably just the bitter type. He was one of those guys that spent a lot of time out on the battlefield and kicked a lot of ass. Then, because he'd gotten a little carried away and ignored an order from the General himself, Shinra decided he was now more suited to schooling the grunts that filed through. That was me. Cloud Strife, grunt of the year. Or so that's what everyone was saying. You'd think I'd be proud. You'd also think it would be because being anything 'of the year' would be a positive comment. Not so. SOLDIER entrances went for three months, and at the moment, I was going through my second try. If you were grunt of the year, they expected you to be there for four full tries...

"Strife! You wanna grab a pencil or something and pull some paper out or are you happy to sit there staring out the window?" Maygar barked, and I damn near shit my pants. I really don't think he was all that impressed at having me here once again, but I couldn't care less. I looked down at the pop quiz he thrust in my direction and smiled slightly. Every test was different, and yet they always seemed manageably easy. A lot of the other grunts figured that I was so good at these useless things because I'd done them before. Wrong! I scrawled out the answers and stuck my hand up. Maygar rolled his eyes slightly, expecting no less from me. First to finish again.

"I don't give a shit what you do Strife, but you better get the hell out of here before I snap that arm..." he growled, and I gladly complied, placing my test on his desk. I slipped out the class room door and turned to find myself separated by about two inches from a bright blue pair of eyes.

"Heya!" The figure smiled widely, and I just about choked on my own lungs.

"Hello," I said as steadily as I could manage.

"Nice hair," he snorted, and I smiled, as he flicked his own. It was pretty much identical to mine, and that on its own was a feat. No one else had to live with the continuous nicknames for it, surely?

"Thanks. Yours is pretty cool yourself..." I smiled, and he stood back slightly, stretching his arms out.

"Did ya get kicked out from your test?" He asked curiously, and I shook my head, taking a brief moment to admire the long and lean body before me. Maybe he was a student. He didn't have any identifiable uniform on... He was undeniably attractive though. Those eyes and the smile were just the start.

"No. I just finished."

I shrugged, and his eyes widened slightly as he raised his brows.

"Finished? In ten minutes?" He asked, and I nodded a little awkwardly.

"I guess they're just kind of... easy?" I shrugged, "What are you doing here anyway, if you don't mind?"

"Checking out you guys for some talent," the figure smiled, before slapping his head.

"Oh shit, how rude. I'm Zack!" He grinned, sticking out his hand as I took it. Gaia, it was warm. It was also soft, but you know, I wasn't about to tell _him _that.

"Cloud," I shrugged, "What are you looking for in particular?"

"As I said, talent..."

"Are you a scout or something?" I asked, and he gave a deliciously coy smile.

"You could say that. I'll be right back..." He grinned, before slipping inside. It at least gave me time to compose myself before he returned. He might not have been a student after all. I'm _sure_ I would have noticed him earlier if he was.

He damn near burst through the door upon returning, and waved a paper in front of my face.

"This is _yours_?" He asked, as I took it from him.

"Yep."

I smiled, and he beamed.

"I think I found my talent, kid. That's some amazing brain you've got there. Unless," He stopped suddenly, "You didn't cheat did you?"

"Have you ever had that guy as a teacher? You couldn't cheat if you _tried_..." I smiled, and Zack mused on it for a minute.

"You're right. Let's go."

He grabbed my wrist lightly and dragged me to the main Shinra building then, randomly flinging bits of information at me as we went. He then stopped outside a room I knew. Two weeks ago, a guy called Jerome from my class got busted sneaking in there and was discharged from the course.

"Do you know what this room is?" Zack smiled softly, and I nodded.

"Personal records?"

"Sure is. Come, come!" He urged, dropping my wrist and opening the door with a keycard from his pocket. He slipped it back in before gesturing me inside. It certainly wasn't what I expected. I was expecting filing cabinets and maybe a few bookcases. All it was however, were three desks with computers at them. Zack sat at one and began typing at the keyboard.

"What's your surname Cloud?"

"Strife."

"Alrighty," the eccentric figure beamed, "Oh, awesome pic there..."

I inwardly groaned. My ID picture had been as my mother put it, 'adorable'. Certainly not SOLDIER standards.

"Urgh, thanks..." I smiled weakly, and he paused, his eyes focusing on the screen.

"Here for the second time?"

"Yessir."

"A lot of people leave when they don't make first cut..." Zack mused, and I shrugged slightly. I couldn't help but feel a little defensive in my response.

"I guess I'm not a lot of people. No offence, but are you even authorised to access my files?" I raised an eyebrow, and that coy smile returned. He could melt me, I was sure of it. He then stood up and walked over, pulling the ID card out of his pocket and showing me the details.

Zachary Fair, SOLDIER First Class Lieutenant. Oh.... my... GOD.

"S-sir!" I stammered, saluting, before he clipped me over the head.

"I knew you were the shy type," Zack winked, "That's why I didn't tell you my rank till you'd warmed up a little. Relax Spikey, I don't bite."

"You're a _first_ class!" I gaped, and Zack pouted slightly.

"You say that like it's a good thing!" He sighed, before grinning as he sat back down, "It's ok, I guess."

Maybe he'd spoken to the General. _Maybe _he knew what the General was like in private. Oh God, the General in private. Would he be different from all those interviews on the TV? Was he as gorgeous in real life as he was in pictures, on TV, on the radio? Gaia, that voice would be the death of me...

"Ohh..." Zack grinned after my prolonged silence, "You're a little starstruck by the thought of it all, hey?"

"No sir," I lied, and he seemed to buy it. I never did quite know if lying was a good skill or not to have. It certainly helped at times, but was it something to be proud of? I remembered shooting pebbles from my slingshot at Mrs. Jenkins's cat back at Nibelheim. I managed to pin it on Joey from down the road with a few well placed tears and a guilt trip at her accusations. After all, why would sweet little Cloud ever hurt the pretty kitty? In the meantime, neighbourhood rat bag Joey was grounded for two weeks for that little mishap. That would teach the ass for taking my lunch money all those times...

"It says that the only real weakness you have is your strength. Even with that in consideration, your combat results are really good!" Zack smiled, seemingly impressed as I shrugged slightly.

"You need strength for SOLDIER though, sir."

"Hey, Shinra's a bastard that way. Asshole thinks that everything's in here," Zack said, flexing his arm muscles, "But he doesn't focus on these..."

The Lieutenant then patted his chest before tapping his forehead with his finger.

"You seem to at least have this," he smiled, repeating the forehead tap, "So screw whatever that blonde haired bastard wants to think about brutality..."

"Sir, do you really think that the president is a -"

"Wanker? Yes. Gaia, when you get to SOLDIER, everyone does" Zack winked, "And hey, we're friends now, ok? Zack's ok..."

He then printed up a copy of my file and held on to it.

"I'm gonna show this to someone, ok?" He smiled, "And if you don't mind, I'd like to chat with you sometime tomorrow."

"My day's full tomorrow, sorry s-Zack..." I frowned. It was slightly out of disappointment at not being able to spend time with my new found friend of sorts, and partly at the fact that I had so many things to do tomorrow I'd probably not have the time to eat, let alone talk with the Lieutenant. Zack then pulled the card out of his pocket once more and waved it before my nose.

"This can get you _anything_," He smirked, "You don't find me, I'll find _you_."

Gaia, could he really do that?

"Ok..." I smiled slightly, and he reached out a hand to ruffle my hair.

"See you tomorrow Spikey!" He grinned, and before I could comment on the hypocrisy of the statement, he'd disappeared down the hall.

--

I made my way back to my quarters in a kind of stunned awe. I should have been paying a little more attention, I guess, because when I'd turned from placing my bag on my bed, Elliot's wide smile met me and I just about passed out.

"Fuck, Elliot!" I cried, and he snorted, shrugging slightly, as he stepped passed me to sit on the couch.

"I said hi when you came in. You must have had your head up your ass," my room-mate smirked. I guess Elliot was what you'd call your average Joe in appearance. He was bigger than me in height and muscle tone, but most people were. He had long black curls mopping his head, and a pair of bright green eyes hidden beneath rectangular glasses frames. On second thought, I guess he had a... cute... charm about him. He was definitely the type of guy you'd be proud to take home to your mum; Smart, funny, insanely polite and a real gentleman of old. A real mother's treat. If you were openly gay, that is.

"Weird day..." I shrugged, as he fell back onto our couch. His eyes offered a silent invitation for me to sit down and explain it further. Until today, Elliot was really my only friend. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't like the others _hated _me or anything, we just didn't talk much. Elliot on the other hand, was friends with just about everyone. He wasn't flamboyantly gay unless you knew him really well, so he even got along with all the homophobes. As for the gays? There really must be something about Elliot that I'm missing, because they were drawn to him like moths to the flame. I guess his personality was just likeable.

I sat on the couch beside him and let out a long sigh.

"Whoa, that was a big one," He teased, "Let me get comfortable."

He shuffled so that he was just about encased with pillows and waved his hand to encourage me forward.

"I met a first class today..." I said flatly. Many of the pillows surrounding Elliot dropped to the floor as he sat bolt upright, gaping slightly.

"Really?! That's so awesome! Those guys are like needles in haystacks lately. There's like six of them including the General!" Elliot cried, before scowling enviously, "You lucky shit, tell me everything!"

So I did. Well, almost everything. I held on to some choice details. The thing was that Elliot knew everything and everyone in SOLDIER. What if Zack turned out to be some nobody after all? I'd be ridiculed by him for weeks. Elliot was doing his fourth trial for SOLDIER now. Every other trial he'd had before hand, the poor bastard had been hit by some kind of illness just as exams hit. I guess I was a little grateful, as selfish as I was, because I got to stay with a familiar face. Elliot was never dubbed 'grunt of the year'. I guess it was because he, unlike me, had everyone thinking that he _would _make it through.

"So..." he smiled widely as I finished my story, "I want a name."

"Uh, Zack?"

"...Zack _Fair_?" Elliot said slowly, and I nodded with a little uncertainty. His eyes bulged out so much that it would have been comical if I wasn't terrified it was for a bad thing.

"Are you ok?" I asked softly, and he shook his head.

"How the **hell **do you get away with being such a lucky ASS?!" Elliot whined, throwing a cushion to hit me square in the eyes. I offered a questioning gaze, and he shook his head.

"You don't even know who he is, do you?"

"No?" I shrugged.

"Zack Fair, Lieutenant First Class SOLDIER, apart from being every little ingredient that wet dreams are **made **from..." Elliot paused, sucking in a deep breath to seemingly calm himself, "Is second only to _Sephiroth_."

I damn near fell off the sofa as Elliot shivered a little, his eyes glowing slightly with the trace mako he held. Zack was _Sephiroth's right hand man... _How could I have never heard of him before? I damn near worshipped the General. He's the only reason I joined Shinra to begin with.

"Introduce us. You must..." Elliot grinned slyly, "I know that you won't venture near boyzone, so you really shouldn't be hogging all the goods."

I must have been _really _good at lying. So far, Elliot still believed me to be straight. Accepting of gays, but straight. I'd even managed to feed him some bullshit about Tifa and pass her off as a crush I'd been moping over. I was happy with him thinking I was straight anyway. He'd made it pretty clear that if I was ever to 'visit boyzone' as he called it, he'd pretty much jump me.

"He's going to come get me tomorrow. Sometime during classes I think," I said distantly, and Elliot groaned.

"Fuck you, Cloud. You're lucky I haven't killed you by now from the envy!" he lamented, and I smiled slightly to myself. Please Gaia, let him keep thinking I'm straight.

--

I didn't sleep all that well last night. Two main reasons. One was that Elliot neglected to tell me he would have company, and so I hadn't had any plans to stay elsewhere, therefore I was stuck listening to them-... Gaia, I don't even want to think about it... Secondly, I was really pumped up about today. It was pretty rare to find yourself talking to a first class to begin with, but twice in two days? It was an honour. I wanted so badly to get an extra glimpse into what life for a first class was really like. Zack threw me off, I guess. Every story we heard of first class SOLDIERs were that they were strict, they were disciplined, they had a zero 'fun factor' and they were generally awe inspiring because of it. Zack seemed completely the opposite, but retaining that awe inspiring factor. He was charming, he was funny, he was friendly, and good Gaia was he gorgeous... No, _bad_ Cloud. I was far too shy for all that approaching stuff anyway. Blech. I struggled desperately to focus on the materia fusion class they honestly expected us to somehow live through, but it was a boring topic, not to mention something that I was already excelling at. I was debating whether to try and slip out un-noticed or to just sit and feign interest when the choice was made for me. Maybe Elliot was right. I might just be the luckiest guy around.

Zack entered the room with an entirely deadpan face, and stood before us all. There was a wave of murmured chatter amongst the grunts, as our teacher looked up from her book with an almost loving smile on her face.

"Lieutenant Fair," She smiled slightly wider, "How may I help you?"

"Good morning Miss Armetia. I hope you're well. I was just looking for a grunt, actually?" Zack said flatly, and my stomach dropped slightly as he set blank eyes on mine. Maybe he'd been high or something yesterday? He certainly wasn't as cheerful as I'd expected, and he was fitting right into the standard SOLDIER First Class expectations...

"Strife," He said firmly, and I nodded, before he gestured for me to follow him. He apologised for interrupting, as I made my way to the front of the room, my classmates looking on in disbelief. As soon as I'd stepped outside, I waited with baited breath for Zack to close the door behind us. What had I done? As he turned around however, that melting grin had returned, and he ruffled my hair.

"Heya Blondie. How's things going?" he asked animatedly, as we started walking.

"Um... ok I guess... I kind of thought I was in trouble."

"Oh that?" Zack laughed lightly, waving a hand dismissively, "No, General Stuffy-pants think that I act too friendly around you grunts. I tried to point out that it was probably that exact reason that scares the common civilian, but I guess he doesn't mind."

"I would have thought the stories about the First Class SOLDIERs would have been the ones that intimidated people?" I suggested, far more relaxed than I had been about a minute ago. Zack smirked slyly at this statement, turning to meet my gaze.

"Oh? What stories would they be?" He asked. Surely he'd heard them before?

"Sephiroth and one unknown SOLDIER ended the Wutai war. Just the two of them in a combined effort..." I smiled a little, "That's... well, it's amazing."

I didn't want to come across as a starstruck fanboy in front of the Lieutenant, but he didn't seem to be in the mood for teasing. He was apparently quite sulky, actually.

"Unknown? Un_known_? God, life can be cruel..." he whined, and I somehow managed to piece together Elliot's awe with Zack and the previous statement together.

"Was that _you_ Sir?" I asked, and he grinned.

"Firstly, it's Zack. Don't make me beat it into you," He teased, "Secondly, yep. But, I guess there's only room for one hero in SOLDIER..."

"My friend Elliot referred to you and the General as the finest heroes SOLDIERs ever produced," I smiled, "So I guess there's definitely room for at least two."

He gave a little 'le woot' then and punched his fist into the air.

"It's got a nice ring to it, hey? Lieutenant Zack Fair, First Class SOLDIER hero..." He sighed, apparently lost in thought. I thought then was as good a time as any to ask him where exactly we were going.

"This place is a hell hole. What do you say to some travel in style?" Zack grinned, and the damn near dangerous glint in his eyes made me consider just going home and pretending that he'd never asked that.

"Uh... sure, why not?" I found myself saying, as he tossed me a bottle of water.

"Drink some of that first. It'll be _awesome!_" he grinned, and never one to turn down a request from a superior, I did just that.

--

I was going to die. I was going to, I was sure of it. I love motorbikes. I really, really do. But it's my general belief that they're built for pleasure, not to instill the fear of death into anyone who was a passenger on them. I could swear Zack was laughing as I clung onto him as if my life depended on it. No, scrap that, my life _did _depend on it... We were going well over the speed limit, and the traffic was slowly starting to build back up as we begun exiting the main city. I swear he really did not care about where we were going or how fast we were get- GAIA! Oh shit, we missed a truck by about an inch... Hold on... Either we were slowing down, or my adrenaline had just gone haywire. The wind was nice against my skin, although making me a little cold, and it was _Zack _that I was clinging to. Those two thoughts relaxed me a little, and on second thoughts, this is kind of fun... Were we slowing down? No. I took a peep over Zack's shoulder to read 210km/h on his speedometer. Shiva on a half pipe, we were _flying..._ Zack was obviously good at this, as he slipped between any oncoming traffic with little difficulty or brake power, and I envied the fact that my father had never been so careful when I'd been a young child. He took some kind of immense pleasure out of dirt bike riding across the plains, and often took me with him much to my mother's horror.

They say that your memories start when you're three. Well, one of my first ones I can recall is sitting on the back of that dirt bike as my mother screamed out to my father.

_"HE'S FOUR YEARS OLD ANDREW! FOUR! ARE YOU CRAZY?! ...GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE IN ONE PIECE!" _

My mother often did that. She would make a large fuss about something, venting her spleen until it was fit to burst and would then resign. As hard as she tried, she had very little dominance over anything. I thought of her back home, and wondered for a moment if she ever thought about me. She never called, using the excuse that she didn't really know how to work the cell phone I'd given her. Knowing her, it was most likely a reason and not an excuse at all. She wrote often however, much to Elliot's delight. He had dubbed me a 'mama's boy' within the first week of me being a grunt, and my own mother was not helping the cause. He started calling me it less often however, when my mother found out that I'd made a friend and insisted on sending some of her special butterscotch choc chip cookies specifically for "Elly". I think if the two ever met, they'd get along just fine. I grinned in my helmet, as Zack swayed across several lanes just for the sake of it, and still somehow managed not to kill us in the process. Life was incredible right now, and for once I didn't give a shit about any of the bad things that had knocked me down in the past. Zack began to slow then, and I realised that we were approaching the pass into the lower slums.

He pulled up just on the outskirts of a somewhat danky looking neighbourhood and grinned as he pulled off his helmet.

"Welcome to sector five!" Zack grinned, as I smiled a little shakily. Now that we'd stopped, Gaia, I thought I was going to be sick. Zack seemed to have noticed this and handed me the bottle from before.

"You mustn't have drank enough," Zack winked, as I forced some of the water down my throat. Then... Instant relief.

"This water's really good..." I mused.

"It should be. I laced it with a tranquilizer and a hyper, a nice little balance," Zack grinned, as I spit the water I'd had in my mouth in a somewhat spectacular fashion.

"You _drugged_ me?" I cried, and he laughed.

"Oh don't be like that. It's not like, a date rape drug or anything. It just stopped you from hurling up your stomach contents when I was trying to ride..." Zack grinned deviously, and I tried my best not to offer a string of cuss words at the revelation. On second thoughts, I didn't want to. Seems like that hyper's kicking in.

Zack dragged me around the streets of sector five, grinning widely the entire time and chatting about anything and everything. We stopped at a church, which I found a little odd, but Zack shrugged upon finding it empty.

"Eh, I was hoping to get you some flowers, but I guess she's not in," Zack shrugged again, before I was yanked by the wrist towards a big pile of... well... junk. It was all over the place. Being a country boy myself, I'd never really wanted to go to the slums before, and so had missed out on the _joy_ of the various smells and sights that were fragrant and vibrant enough to make you want to puke continuously. Zack at least seemed to know where he was going, as he let my wrist go upon approaching a gate.

"This is sector six, kid. Wall Street Market. Anything you want to do, you basically can, regardless of legal issues," Zack grinned cheekily, "As long as you have the charm to pull it off."

"I imagine you're right at home here then, aren't you?" I teased, and he laughed.

"Come on now, they have a nice little place to eat up here..." He grinned, before taking off at a jog. I barely had time to register the weird reggae music playing from various areas, and the shady characters crowding around stuffed animals and what appeared to be... is that a brothel? Ah Gaia, I'm gonna die here. What the hell was I just thinking about anyway?

"Hey there..." A rather young and attractive girl winked suggestively as she sauntered her way over to me.

"Uh, hey?"

"You look lost honey... You after anything in particular?" She smiled flirtatiously and pulled a string of gum from between her lips and... good Gaia Zack, where the hell did you go?

"Hey Spikey!" He called out from somewhere amongst the throng of people, as if on cue, "Move your ass!"

I gave the girl a polite smile and shook my head slightly.

"I uh... I have to go. Thanks anyway."

"No problem baby. You come down to the honeybee if you ever feel the need to come looking for me, ok?"

"Sure, ok..." I replied, forcing my way through the crowd as swiftly as I could, before my wrist was snatched by a familiar grip.

"You got a pretty eager girlfriend there, hey?" Zack teased, as I whined slightly, "You gotta watch yourself around here. When you're as pleasing to the eyes as you are kid, you'll grab a lot of attention."

Well that's _real _reassu- Wait, what? Zack grinned at me, before yanking me once again and pulling me into some cram-packed restaurant and sitting me down at the counter. He fell down in the seat next to me and waved a hand at the chef.

"Hey Ricardo!" He grinned, as the chef himself smiled widely.

"Lieutenant! I don't think I have enough to feed you today!" He laughed, as Zack rolled his eyes. It must be an ongoing joke or something...

"I'll grab a special, you loveable bastard," Zack laughed, before turning to me, "What about you Blondie?"

"Um, special?"

"Two specials Ricardo!"

Said chef nodded, laughing all the while as he turned to cook. Zack then grabbed a bottle of cola from the bar fridge beside him and handed it to me, before taking another out and downing it.

He stretched a little then, that smile never leaving his face.

"So, those results eh?" He smiled softly, "You seriously have talent you know?"

Oh yeah. We were here for a reason.

"Thank you Zack. I guess it means a bit more coming from a first class..." I shrugged a little as I sipped from the bottle in my hand. The condensation on it was pooling slightly, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was the room temperature or it deciding to mimic my rapidly increasing body temperature. Asshole. Stop it Cloud, Gaia, you barely even know this guy and you get little flusters whenever he smiles or compliments you.

"No problems. I showed your results to that friend of mine. They were pretty impressed, kiddo," Zack smiled encouragingly, and I couldn't help but feel a little of that eagerness building up.

"Really? What did they say?" I asked, perhaps a little too much of my excitement showing through.

"Well, 'He certainly shows potential.'" Zack grinned, and I must have visibly deflated a little as he snorted.

"Hey, really, with this friend, that is a _big_ deal. That's actually another thing I wanted to ask..." Zack made to speak, before Ricardo placed two dishes in front of us. Zack gave a thanks and tossed 140 gil on the counter top. I damn near passed out. That was _expensive_ for slum food. Well, not that I really knew how expensive slum food was, but I could get a three course meal at the cafeteria for 15 gil. Sure, the food was borderline toxic, but it was good enough. I hadn't died _yet_ so they must have been doing something right. Besides, mum had pointedly rang up Shinra headquarters before she'd even let me leave home to see what they'd be feeding me. She still somehow manages to wonder why I left Boringheim to begin with.

"Try it!" Zack nudged me slightly, as I picked up the fork, Ricardo looking on with perhaps the cheesiest grin I've ever seen. I looked at the plate's contents and tried my best not to cringe. I could see eggs and... pickles? All was saved though when I spotted the chicken and ham.

I brought it to my mouth and chewed on it, finding out that perhaps slum food was the best creation on the entire planet.

"'Sreally good!" I grinned, and Ricardo clapped once, his cheesy grin increasing. Zack nodded, before demolishing the food off of his plate and waiting for me to finish. When I'd managed to choke down the eggs and pickles to keep Ricardo happy, Zack casually toyed with his fork.

"I'll cut to the point, Strife. I want to train you..." Zack shrugged lightly, and the surprise nearly saw the re-emergence of those pickles.

"You _what_?"

"You're pretty cool kid. Usually I don't do this kind of stuff because I think that a grunt ought to be a grunt on their own, but..." Zack shrugged slightly, a flicker of a smile at the corner of his lips, "What do you say?"

I say 'eat it Elliot, I am indeed the luckiest bastard on the planet.'

"Uh, sure. I mean, if it won't be too much of a hassle or anything?"

"I wouldn't have offered otherwise!" He smiled widely, before patting me on the back, "How about we go cruising?"

"Don't I have to, you know, go back to classes or something?" I asked, and he raised an eyebrow, once again drawing his card from his pocket.

"This is the proverbial golden ticket kid. If I wanna spend some time with you, there isn't a thing in the world that's going to be stopping me..." He smiled reassuringly, and I felt my cheeks burning slightly. It must have been me, but I took that as him actually _wanting_ to spend time with me. I mean Shiva, even Elliot was reluctant to spend too much time 'chilling' as he put it.

"I told you Cloud, I think you're pretty cool. I want to see if I'm right or I'll have to withdraw my offer," Zack teased, before standing up and dragging me with him.

--

I'd never been to the beach before. I guess that living so close to the mountains had let me have a mildly disadvantaged childhood in that sense. Heck, I didn't even know there was a beach NEAR Midgar. Getting to this hellhole had been mainly by truck, and I had distinctly remembered each excruciating hour spent hurling my stomach contents out the back of our moving vehicle. The tightass attendant who had been sent with my batch of grunts had been too much of a complete and utter _asshole_ that he'd preferred to hear me whine the entire time than throw me a freaking tranq.

_"It'll build your character boy. Grin and bear it..."_

Anyway, basically, I'd never realised what was such a big deal about a big patch of water. The time I'd been on water had been spent hidden under tarpaulin in an attempt to smuggle myself between continents without a fee. Nibelheim didn't have all that much to offer a young kid in terms of money, so we did what we could. _This_ though... This must be what the big deal was all about.

The wind was whipping around my face and licking icy temperatures across any bare skin that it managed to find, but it was _refreshing_. Maybe it was because I'd been born and raised in a town that was so clean you could damn near _smell _when anyone was up to no good. It had been so different to the mako fuelled cloud that was Midgar's skies. Either that or I was more dosed up on tranqs than Zack was willing to let on...

"Awesome view huh?" Zack called over his shoulder as I simply nodded, too afraid to speak for fear of bug ass. Really though, it was pretty damn awesome... It was just a massive expanse of blue that glittered and glimmered in the sunlight that had managed to pry through the clouds. There were a few stray gulls here and there that managed to set it off nicely, and there was a gentle sideline of a sandy shore that the waves licked at occasionally. A little cliché to what I'd heard about or seen in movies, but it really didn't compare to the real thing.

We rode on for about another two hours, until Zack must have felt me shivering as I clutched on desperately to his sweater in the hopes of retaining some warmth. He pulled over at the familiar site of the Shinra building shortly after and grinned as he pulled off his helmet.

"You cold, Spikey?" He teased, as I glowered as best as I could under the circumstances. He reached out and ruffled my hair, before looping his arm through mine and marching me into the main building. The secretary at the desk smiled widely, and the smile Zack gave her in return made me feel a little bitter that I was yet to be on the receiving end of something like that.

"Lieutenant! How can I help you?" The secretary beamed, and Zack leant over the counter a little.

"Hey sweetheart. My little blonde friend here is just about freezing his ass off. Do you maybe have a coat or something he can borrow until I get him home?" Zack asked charmingly, and she blushed slightly. Wow. If I'd had half the skill he'd had back in my younger years, I may never have gone gay at all.

"Of course. He seems to be the same size, so he could borrow one of mine..." She smiled a little alluringly, but Zack didn't seem to notice as he graciously took the coat off of her and flung it in my direction.

"Take good care of it Blondie, I'll be bringing it back to... Suzanne later on..." He grinned, and she blushed further. In that brief pause though, I could have sworn that he just checked her name plaque. It didn't matter though, as I pulled it over and thanked her, before he headed back outside.

It was getting colder, that was a given, but he didn't seem to mind all that much.

"It's the mako," He grinned, seemingly reading my mind, "It keeps the body at a regular temperature."

"How did you...?"

"You were looking at me with a little bit of a green eyed monster there. I figured it was because you're shaking in your boots so to speak..." He teased, and I pointedly rolled my eyes. He poked me in the rib playfully, and I laughed in spite of myself.

"Did I pass?" I asked with a coy smile across my lips, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Am I still a cool kid?" I scowled, and he snorted.

"Oh shit yeah. You're just about the coolest grunt of the year I've ever hung around with."

"Well thanks!" I sighed dejectedly, and he ruffled my hair once again. He then made a clucking sound of sorts and shook his head.

"We all hear what they say you know, but they're full of shit. You're the least likely to be grunt of the year out of the lot of them..." Zack reassured, as he offered a soft smile with his words. Good Gaia, my skin was actually beginning to burn. I was like some kind of smitten school girl, and it made me want to choke on my own lungs.

"Hey Cloud, you wanna hang out next weekend?" Zack suggested, "I have to spend some time with Sephiroony in the morning on Saturday, but I have the afternoon free?"

"Sure," I shrugged nonchalantly, even though I mentally whooped and punched my fist in the air.

"Alrighty then!" Zack grinned, clapping me on my back as I realised that we'd reached my quarters, "See you around."

"See ya..." I grinned, even as he turned his back and began walking away. Shiva. What the hell was I going to do with myself?

--

"Asshole."

"Not like I _meant _for it to happen."

"Oh but you love the fact that it did, don't you?"

"Well, yeah, a little..."

If the half hearted glare directed at me after that statement was any indication, I don't think Elliot was entirely too pissed off that I'd spent about nine hours with Zack today.

"I guess I should be proud... or at least happy that he'll be around here a bit, hey?" Elliot sighed in apparent defeat, "You're like a hottie _magnet_, and yet you've somehow managed to stay single..."

"Tough luck, I guess..." I shrugged, thanking Gaia that I could lie my ass off in these kinds of situations.

"Hey Cloud, I have a question for you..."

"Yeah?"

"You got that letter from Tifa a little while ago right, but you still haven't replied. Why not?" Elliot asked with something akin to curiosity.

Oh. Yeah, that probably would have been a good idea, come to think of it...

"Well..."

...Why? Well, because she ignored me for so long that by the time we actually had a proper conversation, I'd already picked what team I'd batted for and she sure as hell wasn't a player... I spent too many years of my life staring through windows at the beauty that was Tifa, and for what? Perhaps it was mere appreciation. After all, isn't just about every gay meant to know from birth that they were different? I couldn't whole-heartedly say that that was the case, but... stereotype right? That's what the entire culture seemed to be about...

"You're just a little chicken shit aren't you?" Elliot teased, much to my secret delight.

"Urgh... yeah, I guess that's it. Any handy tips for me, Romeo?"

"Not unless Tifa is some kind of codename for a bulky Costa del Sol resident in tight Speedos and cheap spray on tan..." Elliot smirked, and I made it a point to roll my eyes again. He reached out an affectionate hand and ruffled my hair, much like Zack had seemingly taken a liking to doing, and I swatted his hand away.

"Don't mess with the hair..." I laughed, and he shrugged slightly. He stretched casually then, much like Zack had done in the diner, but Elliot didn't have those well defined arm muscles that rippled with the movement...

"I don't think it's possible to make it any worse..." Elliot snorted, and I sighed. Come to think of it, how did Zack's hair manage to stay so... frizz free? Secondly, I wonder how many squats the Lieutenant would have had to have done to get- Oh my God, I'm obsessing...

"Ouch..." I replied coyly, even as I stood up and headed for the bathroom. I needed a shower, and for Gaia's sake, something to stop me thinking of Zack...

"You going for a shower kid?" Elliot asked, and I pointedly glared. He brushed it offer however and merely waited for an answer.

"Yeah."

"Don't use up all the water. I'm going out tonight and I need to shave downstairs just in case."

"Well Shiva Elliot, feel free to use a little discretion..."

"Bite me, chocobozo..." Elliot retorted, and I managed to lob a stapler at him before barricading myself in the bathroom. I'd pay for that one...

--

**A/N:** Fun fact for people who didn't guess it - Miss Armetia's name is actually an anagram for materia. Yes, I'm just that sucky at thinking of names! =D

**Note:** Training is not on hold, relax. Just finding something to keep people happy till the last few chapters are done . Which… they nearly are. :o

Busy with work people, please be patient Dx


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Twooo. lol. Thanks for the reviews I have so far. xD lol. Don't you love it when I type things out before I even BEGIN to post them? :D Less of a wait for you! :D

Still a wait though… I'm on a work trip at the moment, back and forward between my house and Inverloch. For those of you who don't know, that's 2 hours + drive. We've been staying there, away from my computer, for 2 weeks or so at a time. :/ That's why Training's still not finished. Eat this instead :D

**Warnings: **I are lazy. Refer to previous chapter.

_Association - Chapter Two_

_Lieutenant Fair's point of view_

_Zack was scaring himself a little. This blonde bombshell that had seemingly appeared from nowhere had managed already to worm his way into the Lieutenant's head on far too many occassions. It wasn't just that Cloud was incredibly gorgeous, it was the fact that the boy was incredibly smart, and he just _knew_ that Sephiroth would take an interest in the boy for this very reason._

--

Undeniably, there was a smug grin creeping across my face as I flung open the General's door and fell promptly onto his couch. He didn't even flinch as he read from a manila folder before him

"What ya reeeeeading?" I asked, and I smirked as he flitted me a casual look through his reading glasses, before pulling them off of the bridge of his nose.

"Cloud Strife's file. You knew that, because you left it here..."

"Ohh. Yeah, I totally forgot about that!" I grinned casually, as he replaced the glasses onto his nose and scanned the paper repeatedly. Well, well, well. It looked as if General Fusspot was actually intrigued by a little bundle that _I_ had scoped out. Oh yeah, I had a claim to fame in finding this one. This particular scouting trip was made all too easy. Cloud literally walked straight into me. Such little effort involved on my behalf.

Zack Fair: One. Sephiroth: Zero. Not that I was keeping tabs or anything, but the General had a particular way of boasting oh so subtly that he had a better eye for talent than my very capable self. This time though, Cloud Strife had offered me an opportunity to free myself from the casual statements that Sephiroth just _loved_ to make.

_"Zachary, you must be aware by now that your candidate is lacking... flair?"_

_"Zachary, have you noticed Jameson? I managed to spot him within the training halls down in sector five..."_

_"Zachary, what dumpster did you pull this one out of?"_

Zachary, Zachary, Zachary... If I hadn't become so close to what was widely known as 'the walking wall', I may very well have attempted to kill Sephiroth years ago. Thankfully, as well as being what may be considered his closest friend, I had a sharp enough wit that I could dish it back just as readily.

"Hey Stuffy-pants," I remarked airily, as aforementioned General locked eyes with mine from across the room. It had been as simple as that from the start. A nickname he didn't like would be mentioned ever so casually, and I'd be met with an emerald green death glare.

"..._What_?"

"Don't give me that" I teased with a cheeky grin, and he offered a flicker of a smirk before turning his gaze away once again.

"No, in all seriousness, I think this kid has potential."

"Strife?" He said flatly, his eyes not moving from the file before him.

"Yeah. He's a good kid..." I said a little too distantly. Cloud was more than just a good kid. He was a sight for sore eyes to say the _very_ least, and had possibly the most stunning eyes that I've ever witnessed in my life, even rivaling Sephiroth's. That _wasn't _meant to be the important part though, Gaia...

This was my current problem. I was a scout in every sense of the word, and yet the feature of Cloud Strife that had reeled me in immediately was his appearance. As well as that he was everything that you could aspire to lust over; Humour, apparent intelligence in bucketloads, and a naïve kind of innocence at times that lead me to believe he might have a bit of a hidden wild streak. I'd known him for a little over a week now, and Gaia even the mere thought of him simultaneously spread warmth through my heart and a jolt through m-... Ah Shiva, not the right time or place to be thinking about this. The thing was, I'd seen him every day, and each day he'd gotten friendlier and friendlier. I guess it was true that some people needed a little coaxing before you could _really_ get to know them. Cloud was a bit of an opposite of me. I was completely open, and Sephiroth often remarked that I wore my heart on my sleeve too freely. Cloud however, seemingly had some kind of spell over anyone he spoke to, where you _had_ to get to know him. And with people like him, these things took time. Maybe it was my own twisted imagination, but I thought that there was more than a little chemistry between he and I, and I secretly begged that there was on his behalf too.

"Zack..." Sephiroth said softly enough that I turned my gaze back over to his and froze. He was smirking, and from the looks of it he knew _exactly_ what had gone through my head.

"He's good looking, ok?" I huffed, and the General merely shrugged slightly.

"I said nothing..."

"You didn't _have_ to, you asshole."

"He has a lot of potential."

"You said that yesterday!"

"This was before I got the Turks to do a full check-up on him."

I gave him the best horrified look I could muster, and he gave me a look of his own that symbolised nothing but confusion.

"You got the _Turks_ to check him up?" I gaped, and he nodded simply.

"He interested me."

"He interested you?" I repeated back to him, "What the hell is that meant to mean?"

"He has potential."

"You're like a freaking record!" I sighed, absent mindedly burying my head back into the couch cushions. Sephiroth was quiet for such a long time that I wondered if he'd perhaps gotten up and left without me realising. It had happened several times before, and it wouldn't surprise me if today was no different.

"Are you not spending more time with him today?" He asked out of the blue, and I shrugged.

"Well, I intend on bringing him to meet you actually. Just as soon as you relieve me from this hellhole..." I hinted, and he simply lowered Cloud's folder to gaze at me over the top of it with a skeptical gaze.

"Introduce him to me?"

"You said that he seemed interesting. I've never heard you say that before about anyone. I figured it was worth bringing him here so you can give your almighty opinion on my gold mine of talent in person," I smirked, and he raised his eyebrow once again, in something akin to both scrutiny and surprise. I simply held his gaze and pouted as best as I could, before he resigned, as was the norm.

"...Go then..."

"Woo!" I grinned, giving a wave as I leapt from the sofa and headed for the door. I could have sworn he sighed as I left, but with Sephiroth, only Gaia knows.

--

I have to admit, you learn to kind of like the attention this uniform got you. There were a variety of people leaving me a variety of looks as I passed them. A few in particular had been entertaining, as I walked past a pair of secretaries. Both of them had subtly bitten their bottom lips and damn near burnt holes through my uniform with those spicy little gazes. Oh Gaia, were they up the wrong tree.

"Lieutenant Fair, pleased to meet you!" A figure grinned, before stepping in front of me. Shiva, that happened far too often for my liking and just about scared the shit out of me every time. I took a moment to take in the guy's appearance. Scruffy black curls, really bright green eyes... were they mako infused? Anyway, glasses... average build. I suppose he had a certain charm to him, especially with the over-eager smile plastered on his face.

"Uh, hey. How's it going?" I grinned, as I took his outstretched hand and shook it.

"Great thanks. I figure you're looking for a little blonde cadet?"

"I kind of am, yeah."

"I know where he is..." He smiled then, before beckoning for me to follow him.

"I've heard so many stories about you," the stranger smiled widely, "You really are amazing..."

"Well, thanks!" I grinned, trying to brush off the fact that he was not so subtly coming onto me. He chattered on like that for awhile, leading me to the study area, which was seemingly deserted.

"Cloudy cakes! I brought you a present!" The stranger called out to the quiet surroundings as I heard a sigh answer him.

"Elliot, you're a pain in my ass. Why don't you go piss off and do something... or some_one_?" A familiar voice retorted in annoyance, before blonde spikes popped up from a study cubicle. I smiled widely, as Cloud's eyes widened, apparently in horror.

"Am I interrupting?" I asked, and he shook his head violently.

"N-no! I just... Um... God damn it Elliot!" The blonde snapped, before his friend smirked back at him.

"Come on babydoll, boyzone!" Elliot whined, as the blonde glared. It must have been a personal joke because I certainly didn't get it. Was Elliot... Cloud's boyfriend? Oh Gaia, that would suck ass.

"Elliot, how many times have I told you not to call me that in public? Or, you know, _anywhere_?" Cloud scowled, as his friend turned to face me.

"He's just a bit touchy when I interrupt him," Elliot smiled, "He's a good kid though."

"I know..." I replied, smiling as the blonde offered a shy smile in return.

"Thanks Elliot. No really... Now, you can _leave_," Cloud scowled, and the grunt beside me rolled his eyes.

"_Fine._ It was really nice meeting you Lieutenant."

"You too Elliot. Take care, yeah?" I grinned, and he visibly blushed, before turning and swiftly leaving. Cloud let out a groan and fell back in his chair, even as I approached him.

"You ok?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"I'm so sorry. I sometimes think he does it to me on purpose just because I won't go out with him..." the blonde sighed, as he absent mindedly rubbed his temple. _Won't_ go out with him, huh? Back in the game, then.

"Not into guys like him?" I asked curiously, and he shrugged.

"You could say that."

He replied a little uncomfortably, and the thought that he might not be gay after all crushed me almost instantly. Nooo! My gaydar was usually sooo good, and I could have _sworn_ that this one was... a closet gay? Or maybe even just a little shy... But Gaia, if he was actually straight, life was going to become so much hard-

"Are you alright?" He asked with concern, as I realised that even in thought I was working myself up. With a personality like mine, it was incredibly difficult to hold control over anything, really. But, Shiva Zack, he was going to make a good SOLDIER. He wasn't here for my own enjoyment.

"I'm fine kiddo. You ready to go?" I asked, as he nodded, picking up his folders and school books.

"I'll just have to drop this off home..."

"Alrighty then."

"Where are we going?" He grinned, before I turned to head for the door.

"I'm introducing you to Sephiroth..." I said airily, before an audible thump reached my ears. I turned to see Cloud stooping to pick up his books and frowned slightly.

"Are you alright Cloud?"

"Uh, yeah, must have just lost my grip," He grinned sheepishly, "It happens sometimes... Butterfingers."

It was nice to know that other people were at least _near_ my level of clumsiness.

"What's Sephiroth like? In person, I mean?" Cloud asked quietly as we strolled down the hallway.

"He's... Well, he's different," I smiled to myself, "But he's really quite... nice?"

Cloud looked at me like I had just admitted to beating my grandmother on occasion.

"_Nice_?" He snorted, and I nodded.

"He's actually quite affectionate in his own way. He knows he has sex appeal, and admittedly he's not afraid to use it if he thinks it will charm his way out of something," I smirked, as Cloud's jaw dropped slightly. The reaction from people to some of Seph's behaviour was generally the same. A kind of pleased shock. Well, I knew _my_ shock was certainly a pleasing one. I'd been particularly pissed at him one afternoon, and he managed to change that rather quickly.

_"Asshole! You could have at least __offered__ to send me to Wutai with the others! Now they've got all this opportunity that I'm sitting here missing out on!"_

_"You __wanted__ to go to Wutai?"_

_"Are you freaking __kidding__ me?!" I snapped, adding a bit of a foot stamp in an attempt at emphasising the point. _

_"Are you angry with me?" He asked coyly, his eyes glittering slightly, as a curtain of silver hair swung forward to frame his face quite nicely and highlight those gorgeously green eyes and that oh so smooth sk- Wait, no! Asshole! He might have been good looking and all, but I was __not__ giving this one up._

_"Yes, I am angry with you. I am furious, in fact. I can __not__ believe that you of all people have denied me such an opportunity! You know I want this…"_

_He must be a little guilty now, because he knows that I don't usually put so much effort into wording myself correctly, and he's resting his chin on his hands as he looks at me from his desk. _

_"Zack, come and sit down," He said softly, before I reluctantly dragged my ass over to sit in the chair across from his. He smiled slowly, deliberately, and I was snared in that Gaia damned gaze._

_"I kept you here because I __like__ you here. You keep things interesting. If I sent you to Wutai, despite the amount of training you HAVE had, you would have likely been killed, and it would have been both a tragic loss in a professional sense, and a traumatic one in a personal sense," He said smoothly, and I felt a rather annoying blush creep up my cheeks. He noticed, and the smile widened fractionally. _

_"Am I out of the doghouse yet?" He asked, an amused cheekiness underlying his tone. He __knew__, and he was playing me for it! I didn't care though, as he continued to gaze at me with those damn eyes and gorgeous hair and finely shape-_

_"FINE, but you're an asshole for purposefully doing that..." I mumbled, and he leant back casually, a coy smile licking at his lips._

_"It comes in handy," He replied simply, "And now I know that it works on you, I may have to use it more often."_

_I scowled deeply and stood, heading for the door. As I took the handle and turned it, his voice caught my attention._

_"Zack..."_

_"What?"_

_"I meant it, by the way," He said simply, and it was a clear tone that expressed that the conversation had ended. His secretary smiled at me on the way out, and I hoped to Gaia she hadn't seen me blushing. _

"He's really a bit of a softy, come to think of it. He's just a little... difficult?" I offered, and Cloud seemingly wanted an extended explanation.

"Well, he's really great once you get to know him. It's the getting to know him part that's the issue," I explained, "As you may guess, he keeps a lot of walls up. In doing this, he comes across as pretty cold and a bit of a man-bitch most of the time."

"Most of the time?"

"The other times, he's usually plain rude," I shrugged, and Cloud seemed a little unsettled, "He's one of those people you have to persist at. It's worth it though, trust me."

"Uh... another question, if you don't mind that is," He paused then, seemingly anxious, "And you don't have to answer it or anything."

"Sure. You can ask me anything you want..." I smiled warmly, and he seemed to ease himself a little.

"Are you... you know..." He paused again, seemingly uncomfortable. I took a guess at what might be an uncomfortable question and smirked.

"Are Sephiroth and I more than friends?" I asked, and his cheeks positively flamed.

"I mean, you don't have to answer it or anything, but a few people were suggesting that maybe because you and he spend so much time together and get along so well that it was poss-"

"No," I interrupted, "I guess I'm just not into him like that, you know?"

LIES. Ok, so maybe I was a little infatuated with General Stuffy-pants... But Gaia, just about everyone who worked for Shinra, followed Shinra, or even watched the _news_ on a regular basis was!

"Oh..." Cloud said softly, a faint glimmer of something lurking in his eyes. It was quiet then for awhile, something that I was never particularly good with dealing with, so I whistled a tune. Cloud laughed a little after a few moments, as his gaze turned to meet mine.

"I know that song. My mum used to sing it to me when I was a little kid."

"Must be a backwash thing..." I teased, "I'm from Gongaga and I had that sung to me too."

"Gon-ga-ga?" Cloud snorted, and I rounded a look on him. He barely wavered however, and simply smiled.

"What a name..." He explained, as I felt a little playful riff forming.

"Better than Neeeee-bell-hyyyyyme!" I teased, and he poked his tongue out in a childish manner. Seemingly he hadn't meant to however, as he quickly retracted it and blushed.

"Oh Gaia, you're cute..." I smirked, and he blushed further, muttering a small 'shut up' as we reached his apartment. The blonde quickly discarded his books, but seemed to stall for time when reaching the door. He didn't say much as we made our way to the office, but Gaia he looked gorgeous with that soft blush creeping along his skin. Come to think of it, I might just have to find an easy way to provoke it...

--

I flung open the door, much to Sephiroth's displeasure, as the wall copped the torment of the door handle.

"Is it possible to hold a _little_ restraint?" He sighed, as I felt Cloud subconsciously shuffle to stand behind me.

"Do you ever stop complaining? Anyway, I have someone I want you to meet!" I smiled, as Cloud bravely stepped out from behind me and saluted the General.

"Nice to meet you General Sephiroth Sir," Cloud said a little too rushed, as Sephiroth's lips curled upwards slightly. The General stood then and moved to stand before the blonde, who shrunk backwards slightly.

"Nice to meet you, cadet..." Sephiroth replied, extending his hand for Cloud to take in a handshake. The blonde did so somewhat timidly, before easing his salute and smiling slightly. This was... good. In fact, this was insanely good progress. So far, Cloud hadn't passed out from the nerves, and Sephiroth hadn't done anything to embarrass either of us. It wasn't that Sephiroth was socially incapable of meeting new people, just... awkward. But no, the two seemed to be getting along fine, and Masamune had remained sheathed the entire time. The General wasn't even being an asshole... Sephiroth had returned to sit at his desk and was offering Cloud a seat across from him, and all of it had happened within my self-absorbed musings. Never one to slip away from the group's activities, I sidled over and pulled up a chair beside the blonde.

"I've told Sephiroth a lot about you Cloud," I smiled, as the blonde turned to face me and blushed, "And we think you've got skill."

"I've been looking at your file on and off all day, actually..." Sephiroth mused, holding up the manila report with Cloud's baby faced photo on it. The blonde's blush deepened as his eyes latched onto his photo, and if I hadn't known better I could have sworn that Sephiroth suppressed a smirk at the sight. The two held a pretty decent conversation then, and I presumed it would be best for me to butt out a little and simply listen.

"You come from Nibelheim?" Sephiroth asked, as Cloud nodded.

"Yes sir. Born and raised."

"I've heard it's a... what was the word you use?" Sephiroth paused, turning to ask me with a slight smirk on his face.

"Backwash!" I prompted, as the blonde kicked me under the desk.

"I've heard it's a 'backwash' town," Sephiroth continued, "So how did you amuse yourself if the town was such a dull place?"

"I fought, sir. Well, I trained really. There was no one that I really had to fight with," Cloud explained, "So I tended to practice sword swings and things like that."

"You had a sword?"

"My dad thought it would be a cool thing for a kid to have..." Cloud smiled slightly, seemingly amused by the memory.

"Undoubtedly," Sephiroth mused, "I hope you'll forgive me for saying this Cloud, but your muscular tone does not yet seem the type of a well practiced fighter..."

"I... Well, that's ok sir," Cloud smiled a little shakily, a flicker of disappointment in his eyes. God damn it Sephiroth, you have to learn a little more about what to say and when to say it.

"That's ok?" Sephiroth queried, and Cloud nodded defiantly.

"What I lack for in strength, I make up for in here," He smiled, patting his chest and head. I held back a grin as the blonde smiled at me fleetingly. Sephiroth seemed mildly impressed in his amusement and merely nodded.

"That's very true...." Sephiroth agreed, and the blonde's smile re-emerged accompanied by that very faint blush. Seemingly, he was eager to impress his hero, and so was warming up to him nicely. I couldn't be happier if I was pooping rainbows.

"I've seen you a lot on the news and in the papers, sir," Cloud said softly, almost hesitantly, "How do you deal with all the attention?"

Ah Gaia, don't go there Cloud.

"Attention?" Sephiroth queried.

"Yeah. You know, they're saying that you're the most publicized person since Shinra first became a major corporation," Cloud said quietly, "And I just guess that I thought a lot of people would approach you for autographs and things like that..."

Aaand, he _just_ went there.

"I don't have many people approach me at all actually. It surprises me quite frequently, as I've heard that what you say is true..." Sephiroth said, seemingly lost in thought.

"But why not?" Cloud urged, as I silently willed him to shut up.

"Far too often people are... scared..." Sephiroth smiled slightly, albeit bitterly, as he waved the comment away, "That's not overly important however. How do you think you'll fair in your upcoming fitness tests?"

"I think I may do well, sir," Cloud shrugged slightly

Oh thank Gaia. Kudos to Sephiroth for moving off the topic and not slaughtering Cloud where he sat.

"Well enough to make it into SOLDIER?"

"I intend to let someone else have grunt of the year, sir..." Cloud smiled a little sheepishly, and the world may very well have stopped as Sephiroth offered a small laugh in return.

"How compassionate of you," the General said wryly, "You really are a true friend to your peers."

"So!" I teased, eager to draw the attentions of Cloud back to me, "He's not so scary after all, is he Spikey?"

Cloud gave a nervous little laugh at this and flicked his eyes to Sephiroth's momentarily. Unluckily for him, Sephiroth had a way of snatching gazes, so the blonde was now unable to look away.

"Am I intimidating, cadet?" Sephiroth asked, a mild hint of amusement licking at his words.

"Maybe a little, sir."

"I assure you that I don't bite..." Sephiroth teased, and the blonde was damn near radiating heat. Sephiroth apparently had an adverse affect over the blonde, and I couldn't blame Cloud. A lot of the rumors going around involved Sephiroth being some kind of unstable monster, when really he was just a little... misguided...

"Well I suppose that's a good thing, sir," Cloud took a chance by smiling, and I melted at the sight. This was damn near perfect. Cloud, my newly found joy of life, was meeting his hero and the person he damn near idolised. Sephiroth, my long time best friend... was staring at Cloud in a manner I couldn't describe... Maybe the blonde really did have potential. Sephiroth tended to have a way of picking these things up. Still...

"Ok, well I gotta go and do some training. Did you wanna come with Cloud and maybe check out the SOLDIER hall?" I asked, and the blonde nodded, turning a shy gaze from Sephiroth's as he stood.

"It was nice meeting you sir."

"The pleasure is mine, cadet," Sephiroth replied, as he shook the blonde's hand once more. Cloud blushed as I cleared my throat. The blonde smiled apologetically at me, as Sephiroth continued to watch him, before I pulled on Cloud's wrist slightly and dragged him from the room.

"How was that?" I grinned, and the blonde blushed slightly.

"It was ok. He looks just like he does on the TV," Cloud shrugged slightly, "But he seems pretty friendly, actually."

"Yeah, that even surprised me..." I mused, as the blonde and I headed for the training halls.

"Does the General have many friends?" Cloud asked, and I shook my head a little solemnly. It was one of those sad facts of life, really.

"Not really. Like I said before, he's kind of a hard man to get close to. He has this habit of pushing people away..." I shrugged a little, and Cloud seemed to be absorbed in thought.

"I think I'd like to try and be his friend," He said suddenly, and I couldn't help but smile widely, "He seems deserving of it after all."

This kid was gorgeous.

"Sure. Why don't you hang out with him a little more tomorrow? You've both got the day off, and I'll most likely have to be at some meeting or something."

"You won't be there?" He gaped, and I squeezed his shoulder.

"Be yourself. You guys were getting along insanely well from what I saw. Besides, he'll no doubt love you the way you are. You're like a bundle of _awesome_..." I teased, and Cloud playfully swatted at my arm. If there was ever a pair of souls that could use an extra companion, those two were it.

"You should stop complimenting me so much!" He whined, as I threw him a confused gaze.

"Why's that?"

"People might take it the wrong way," The blonde blushed, as his gaze shifted to the floor, a small smile licking at his lips. Oh Gaia, maybe he _wanted_ people to take it the wrong way. Wait... No, it was the right way wasn't it? I really was flirting with him after all. It was maybe a little more subtle than I was used to throwing out there, but it was _definitely_ flirting.

"Let's get you buffed up, hey?" I said swiftly, effectively changing the subject.

"Sure!" The blonde grinned, as I pushed open the doors and let him in.

--

"Yes."

"You mean it?!"

"Would I have said it if I had not meant it?"

"No need to get huffy."

"I'm _not_ getting huffy..."

"General Huffy-pants. It's got a nice ring yeah?"

Years of training had allowed me barely enough skill to avoid the dictionary that Sephiroth then proceeded to lob at my head. Maybe I was better at dodging then I thought. I ducked down, but came up grinning, as Sephiroth raised an eyebrow.

"Why does the thought _enlighten_ you so much?" Sephiroth asked, and I shrugged slightly.

"I guess because I know you're a big softy at heart, and you two seemed to get along pretty ok in the understatement of the year category," I suggested, as I picked the dictionary off of the floor, "And besides, you could do with a little extra company here and there when I'm not ar- Hey, your name's in here!"

Sephiroth's eyebrow didn't drop as I grinned widely.

"Sephiroth - Legendary warrior of the company Shinra, and commonly used as a slang term for a highly capable individual at any task. E.g. _'He is somewhat of a Sephiroth at water polo,'_ " I grinned, as Sephiroth shook his head slightly.

"I detest water polo..."

"That's not the _point_. The point is that you have your own definition now!" I grinned, as he held out his hand for the book, seemingly not believing me. He casually flicked through the pages before, focusing his gaze on mine.

"...you're in here too..." He said flatly, as I snatched at the cover. He kept it out of reach however and held it upwards to read it.

"Zack - a presuming, conceited, or empty-headed young man..." Sephiroth mused, as I glowered.

"Asshole."  
"No really, it's here... right under 'puppy'."

"_Asshole._ Gaia, you're real funny, you know that?"

"I thought it was, actually," Sephiroth smirked slightly, still holding the dictionary out of my reach, before throwing it across the room.

"Fetch?" He suggested, before I flipped him the bird. Despite not wanting to give into his little game, I got up and went to get the dictionary. I _did_ want it, after all.

"ANYWAY, what time do I drop the little one around?" I asked coyly, and he made a point of throwing his stress ball at me when I bent to pick up the book. Sephiroth merely smirked lazily as I glared.

"What ever time is suitable for 'the little one' as you call him," Sephiroth replied casually, "Or anytime you feel the desire to go for walkies..."

"I'm gonna have to kick your ass."

"I invite you to try."

He said it softly, with a devilishly teasing smile flitting across his lips. Ok, I'll openly admit it again, General Sephiroth is undeniably a turn on. He's a turn on when he looks at me like that, when I watch him fight, even when I catch him in tracksuit pants and a sweatshirt eating grilled cheese sandwiches like his life depends on it. He knew it too. I'd told him before. What a delightfully awkward little conversation that had turned out to be.

_"Zachary..."_

_"Call me Zack God damn it!"_

_"I must admit I enjoy Zachary better."_

_"Because it annoys me?"_

_"Yes..." Sephiroth smirked teasingly, and I shook my head as I sighed._

_"God damn it, you're gorgeous..."_

_"Excuse me?"_

_"I just... well surely people have told you that before?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Then what's the big deal?"_

_"It's strange to hear it from you, to be honest."_

_"Well, I find you quite the turn on to be honest."_

_Sephiroth cocked an eyebrow, offering a small smile of amusement before returning to his paperwork._

_"I'm flattered?" He offered, and I inwardly kicked myself. What on Gaia was I thinking?_

Well, regardless of anything he did to my head, and body, I was not going anywhere near that area. Invite me to try eh? I decided against the idea and instead threw the ball square at his eyes. His SOLDIER reflexes kicked mine in the balls once again however, as he caught the ball and threw it back just as swiftly. I sucked at dodging after all apparently, as it hit me _hard_ in the thigh and sent a shooting pain up my leg.

"Son of a bi-"

"Now, now. Don't make me get the spray bottle."

"You're gonna milk this puppy shit for all its worth, hey?"

"Clever boy."

"I'm going!"

"Good day then."

"You know what? I might just not leave!" I huffed, and this only seemed to make his smile widen slightly.

"I'm okay with that Zachary."

"I hate you sometimes."

"What does he like in terms of food?" Sephiroth said seemingly out of the blue as I attempted to wrap my head around the statement.

"Eh?"

Real intelligent there, Zack.

Sephiroth was apparently thinking the same thing as he let out a soft sigh and smirked.

"Cloud. If he's going to be in my company for a few hours, it would be rude of me not to feed him, would it not?"

"Well holy shit Seph, you're learning!" I teased, "Yes, it might just be that."

"Doesn't answer the question."

"Well, we got a special at the Wall Street diner. He seems to like chicken. Don't give him eggs or pickles though, he looked like he hated them..."

"Then why did he eat them?"

"Maybe to not appear rude?"

"Then how will I know if he enjoys it or not?"

"He makes this cute little face where his eyes damn near light up, and he chews with an increased vigor..." I trailed off a little as Sephiroth smirked knowingly.

"You seemed to pay a lot of attention, Lieutenant."

Well shit, I guess I did...

"Uh, I suppose. I guess... I dunno."

"Speechless?"

"A little, yeah," I grinned, and Sephiroth merely shook his head.

"Do you... feel for him at all?" The General asked a little too casually, and I shook my head firmly.

"No, no! Well, I think he's very incredibly attractive, but aside from that, he's just a really cool friend, you know?"

LIES. Lies, lies, lies. God, he was _perfect_ and the little shit had me falling for him _hard_. Damn. Sephiroth didn't seem to notice my inner ass kicking however and merely nodded.

"Ok."

"I'm tired, I'm gonna go home."

"I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Yeah, I'll bring the little one. You'll be good, won't you? You won't like, scare him or anything?" I warned, and he smirked.

"Me? Never. But Zack?"

I paused, as those eyes latched on again and my breath caught slightly in my throat. He really was just that gorgeous. You couldn't look at him full on without partially losing your mind.

"Yeah?"

"You look tired. Take care of yourself."

"Yeah, thanks Seph."

"It's a selfish request..." He mused, "It bothers me when you're not smiling so openly."

I left at that, my heart giving tiny little flutters at the words. GAH, he drove me insane...

--

I lounged back on my couch, increasingly a favourite pastime, and casually channel browsed. It was a hopeless cause really. I was too excited to sleep, and it was all at the mere prospect that I'd be seeing a certain blonde tomorrow. It might have been a little crazy and all, but I was starting to think that maybe he and Sephiroth would hang out tomorrow for awhile, and the pair would prove that they really do hit it off. It sent all kinds of possibilities through my head. There would certainly be a boost in regards to entertainment levels, considering that there'd be three of us to spar with now... As well as that, when I got sent out on missions, Cloud would be able to keep Sephiroth company and if Sephiroth went out on mission... Well I had Cloud now, didn't I? I guess that things will be a lot more fun now that there were three of us.

--

**A/N:** Well what do you know? I found that definition for 'puppy' on . Maybe they've played crisis core. xD

I'm having way too much fun with this story.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three. Le Woot! Glad you're all liking it. ^^

Big shout out to -siarafaerie-101-miss, who truly is an amusing lil monkey. Thanks for the inspiration. =P

_Association - Chapter Three_

_General Stuffy-Pants' point of view_

_Sephiroth silently wished that Zack had introduced him to Cloud earlier. Cloud was interesting, and admittedly leagues apart from his peers. He was attractive, he was humorous, he was polite, and he was incredibly intelligent. Boys like this were hard to come by, and Sephiroth was never a man to let opportunity slip by. Then, there was always the problem of his undeniable fondness for his second in command. For the man that could have anything he wanted, sometimes the hardest obstacle was himself. _

--

I narrowed my eyes slightly at the light scratching noise at my door, before standing up and moving to open it. I did so to find Zack pawing lightly, (somewhat like a dog trying to get inside a house) barely suppressing laughter. I tried to do the same, and managed to only let a small smile through.

"I thought you might like that," Zack snorted, pushing his way past and falling ceremoniously onto my office sofa. He was always after attention, and whether he knew it or not, I always provided it. I sat at my desk after closing the door behind him and chanced a glance in his direction. He was smirking deviously and I returned the favour.

"I know that look..."

"_Please_?"

"What about the 'little one'?" I queried, as he let out a sigh. I'd been tempted to do the same when Zack had come through that door alone, the lack of a certain blonde at his side undoubtedly bringing some disappointment. I'd spent a long time throughout the week, scouring the blonde's photograph, and had become infatuated with the smallest things that stood out to me... The way that his blonde eyelashes shielded the depth of his eyes slightly in a shy gaze, the light blush snaking along his pale and flawless skin, the slightly parted lips that were seemingly ripe for the taking and the burning gold of his hair that near illuminated the picture... He was... captivating. Zachary had known the boy for a little over a week, and it had become understandable as to why he had kept him hidden. Admittedly, even the short time that I had spent with him yesterday had been enjoyable. Perhaps it was the fact that unlike so many of his peers, he was open to talking to me. Then again, perhaps that on its own was Zack...

I gazed over at my Lieutenant again, who was frowning slightly, something that I never did enjoy seeing.

"Zack?"

"Are you ok? You zoned out for a little longer than usual that time, and your eyes went all glossy..." He said with a growing concern.

"I'm sure I'm alright. You should come to expect these things by now."

"Sad fact of life is that I do," He teased, seemingly completely recovered, "And quite frankly, you could keel over unexplainably right now, and it wouldn't phase me."

I smirked then, and he shook his head.

"Don't you dare asshole, I was yanking your chain..." he scowled, "You do that for real and you better hope it's serious or I'm kicking your ass."

"The invitation is always open to try."

"I _told_ you I wanted to spar!"

"No you didn't, you offered that devious little smirk and expected me to know."

"You did though, right?"

"I asked about Cloud."

"Oh yeah..." Zack mused, letting out another deflated sigh and falling back on the couch, "My pass didn't get me what I wanted Seph, the system fails."

"From that statement, I think I spoil you..." I teased, and he threw a sultry pout in my direction, my breath catching as I felt a stirring in the blood. Delicious.

"If you spoiled me, we'd be sparring right now..." He sulked, pulling the puppy eyed face that no one I'd met yet had been able to resist. Perhaps spoiling him was a win-win situation...

--

"His Commander wouldn't let him out, blah, blah..." Zack whined, "I even showed the card and all, but he said that it was too important a lesson to let the kid go. He was _meant_ to be having the day off anyway..."

We'd just finished a rather vigorous sparring session, with the usual result of Zack on the floor, my knee pressed firmly against his chest as he sulked about me cheating in one way or another, and the Lieutenant was lamenting over the blonde's lack of presence.

"If he can't come to us, we'll go to him," I suggested, as the blue eyes beside me lit up.

"Oh shit yeah, forgot you have access to watch them. Why the hell didn't you think of that sooner?" Zack feigned a scowl and swatted my arm. Truthfully, I had, but I enjoyed the close hand to hand combat with him and even the blonde temptation would not steal that away. Zack had always been _my_ Lieutenant, and it was a well known fact that to deal with him, you dealt with me. I suspected he sometimes reveled in the special privileges he was treated to, and I was all too happy to give them to him, should he spend time with me in return. Of course, he did not know that that was how the game worked, but he was a player regardless.

More often than not, he came uninvited and spent much of his time simply hassling me to the point that I was willing to kick him out. In hindsight, it was horribly selfish of me, but I primarily kept him there for something to look at and the company that so far, only he had come to offer. More often than not also, he would have work to do, and rather than allow him to sit in his own office, I insisted he sat with me in mine so I could 'keep an eye on him'. I watched him now, his mouth moving at 100 miles an hour, his face fully expressive through every word he let fall from his lips.

"...So I guess that the card can't get you everywhere. Here I was telling Cloud about the proverbial golden ticket, and it kicks me right in the balls!" He finished, before turning his slightly dismayed gaze to meet mine.

"I thought he had the day off?" I remarked, trying to keep up with the constantly changing subject, despite my inner musings, and the snare he had me caught in without any knowledge of his effect.

"Apparently Shinra cracked a hissy fit over the lack of time the boys spent training," Zack shrugged, "I guess they're expecting the next batch to be a whole bunch of you."

I raised an eyebrow critically and he smirked.

"Why on Earth would they ever want more than one has gotten me beat..." Zack continued to tease, before I caught him off guard.

"I have the distinct feeling you would already have plans of what to do with more than one of me, Zack."

With that statement, his cheeks flushed, and I smirked, knowing I had hit another vulnerability in terms of Zack's attraction towards me. He'd admitted it before, much to my pleasure and surprise, and I had gradually been working with it ever since. Of course, no one had seen these moments besides Zack and myself, and it was all within good reason. With my position and my... 'fame'... it was dangerous to allow vulnerabilities. A certain persona was expected, and I provided it whenever required. Walls were built in my own mind to hold those at bay who were intending to attack, and the only person I let them down for was Zack, knowing that it was he alone that I was capable of trusting wholly. Oddly enough, his dedication to me seemed to over rule his dedication to the company, and that had proven his worth beyond measures.

_"Seph, they kind of treat you like shit here... If you wanted to leave, and I mean _really_ leave, I'd be there with you, you know?"_

There was not a single cell in my body that doubted that he would.

"I hate you so much sometimes," He mumbled as we headed for the training halls, and I did my best to suppress the smirk along my lips.

--

_Captivating_. There was no other accurate description quite as affective at summing up the sight as that single word. Something in me knew though, that the figure standing beside me was just as captured as I was, and something bothered me about that.

"Zachary?"

"Mmm?" He replied distractedly, his eyes never moving from the cadet training mats just outside the room.

"He moves rather well, doesn't he?" I asked, and he seemed to snap back to his senses in a flustered hurry of movement.

"Who? I have no idea what you're talking about..." The Lieutenant shrugged nonchalantly, "They're all moving just the same."

"The little one," I said dryly, and he scratched the back of his head. The time spent watching him allowed me to realise it was his tell tale sign of embarrassment.

"Cloud? Yeah, I guess he moves ok. I don't really notice most of the time because I'm usually the one sparring with him," the Lieutenant mused off-handedly, and I willed the desire in my blood to stay down as he shrugged, the action sending a rippling motion through his muscles. He was divine.

"Do you think he has SOLDIER material though?" He asked, his gaze finally turning to meet mine, and he snorted with apparent amused surprise.

"What?"

"You look like you're about to eat me..."

So much for willing away the desire.

"Don't tempt me," I murmured, and he pointedly rolled his eyes, his cheeks flaring.

"Gaia, what would people think if they could see you now? The stoic general cracking onto his Lieutenant..."

"Am I making progress?" I asked teasingly, and he floundered slightly, before returning his gaze to the training hall.

"I'm not too eager about this batch," He said quietly, a soft, slightly forced frown on his face, the previous subject seemingly closed even as his cheeks continued to burn.

"There doesn't seem too much to look forward to..." I agreed, my eyes sweeping across the room to land on one blonde in particular once again.

He was small, but he was graceful, and his size made him agile and swift. Unfortunately, he was lacking significantly in confidence, and so whatever strength he held diminished with every opponent he faced. His next opponent that his instructor assigned to him however, caught both mine and Zack's attention, as the ebony haired male kicked Cloud's feet from underneath him and pinned him to the floor. He then placed a seemingly unwanted kiss firmly on the blonde's lips, before grinning devilishly. Cloud merely scowled deeply and wiped at his mouth furiously, pushing his opponent from him with a violent shove, and successfully managing to break free from his hold, despite the brunette clearly having a height and build advantage. Despite all this, my mind was still reeling with the sight of someone else attempting to claim the blonde and apparently Zack wasn't overly impressed either, as he flung open the door and stepped into the hall. I smiled softly to myself, as the door slammed shut behind him, and I watched with interest as he approached the cadets. It was like a Midgarian wave of sorts, each and every cadet righting themselves and saluting their Lieutenant as their gazes fell on him. Zack nodded at them, offered a brief salute, and then took me by surprise. Rather than pulling aside the offending grunt, he chose instead to gently take Cloud's elbow in his arm and pull him aside. He stood very close to the blonde and offered him a concerned gaze as he murmured. Cloud simply shook his head, and Zack nodded in apparent acceptance. The Lieutenant then smiled warmly and squeezed Cloud's shoulder, the blonde smiling widely back at him, a blush creeping across his fine cheeks. There was a burning sensation of which I could not describe accurately, as Zack ran a hand affectionately through the blonde's hair. It accompanied the one repeated thought that sparked the sensation on a continuous tangent. I wanted that for _me_.

When Zack had come back into the room, he stopped and frowned at me before either of us had said a word.

"Seph?" The Lieutenant pressed slightly, as I remained silent, keeping my gaze trained on the figures on the other side of the glass.

"Zachary?"

"Are you ok?" Zack asked cautiously, taking a few steps forward, "You seem kinda angry or something..."

"Not at all."

He took another few steps and placed a hand on my shoulder, albeit cautiously, as my gaze turned to meet his.

"Did I do something wrong?" he queried, and my puzzlement must have shown through, as he let out a small sigh. He removed his hand from my shoulder and brought it to his forehead, rubbing his temple slightly.

"Can you believe that shit?" He cried, seemingly determining that I was not willing to discuss the issue that he was pressing at, "The guy that just kissed Cloud is the blonde's room-mate Elliot. I've met the guy once, so don't know what to think of him. Cloudy says that Elliot just does it for the kicks, but I swear to Gaia, that kiss was more than 'just for kicks'..."

I was not one to know much about romance in the slightest, but even I had been able to see the barely restrained desire in this 'Elliot's' eyes. I could only recognise it from my expression now in the reflection of the glass before me, as my eyes simultaneously fell on Cloud's fluent form and Zack's rigid reflection. I could see both of them at the same time. Something about that statement set off a spark of possibility that made very little sense to me. Even one as socially inexperienced as I was, was able to tell that liaisons with two individuals at the same time was morally wrong. Why then, did the thought seem so incredibly... _alluring_?

--

It was easier than ever now, to see it. How in Gaia's name had I managed to miss such a searing gaze of appreciation on Zack's behalf? The Lieutenant had his eyes locked squarely on Cloud as the blonde bombshell wriggled out of his unifor-

"Oh Gaia…" I murmured, and Zack's super sharp hearing picked it up, his eyes flicking over to my direction as I stood in the locker room doorway.

Busted.

"Hey Seph!" Zack grinned, waving his arm pointedly, as Cloud hurriedly pulled his shirt back on. I mentally uttered a string of curses as that tantalizing expanse of flawless skin disappeared once again beneath his shirt. I then realised I was staring, and offered a nod in the Lieutenant's direction, before he waltzed over and grabbed my arm, steering me over to Cloud. The blonde looked as uncomfortable as I felt, yet he offered a shy smile that I hungrily devoured with my eyes, before offering a smirk of my own.

"Good afternoon cadet," I offered, "I trust you are well?"

"Yes Sir. I had a good training session today. Wore me out a little, but it really did get some of those muscles burning," The blonde grinned, as Zack ran a hand through the blonde's hair. It looked so… soft…

"Sephiroth watches you guys, did ya know that?" Zack winked, "Tell that to your buddies and watch them squirm at your next training session."

Cloud seemed to seize, his skin positively burning as he gaped wordlessly in my direction.

"Are you alright, cadet?" I asked, and he scratched the back of his head, his blush steadily increasing.

"Uh, yes Sir. I just didn't realise… That you watched us and all," Cloud explained timidly, "It's really…"

"Scary?" Zack prompted, and Cloud snorted slightly, seemingly from nerves.

"I was thinking more along the lines of intimidating or flattering, I'm not sure which…" The blonde murmured, his hooded gaze lifting slightly, to temporarily meet mine. I'd be keeping that image firmly in my mind, my blood already stirring from the thought of what that same look might be able to do to me as the blonde slid down my bare chest and to my stomach, and then progressing to my-

"Hey Seph, I was wondering, do you think maybe we could use the Training room to do some virtual simulations together, and you could maybe give us both some pointers?" Zack smiled cheerfully, and I was brought abruptly back from my filthy thoughts only to be coaxed into others. Zack often trained topless. Perhaps he could coax the blonde to do the same, and I would be left on my own to slowly drown in my own saliva…

"Providing neither of you has anything else planned for the day, I see no reason why you could not undertake some basic stimulation… simulations, beg your pardon…" I nodded, and Zack's beam intensified, as well as drawing an excited flare of energy to Cloud's eyes. Seemingly, neither paid too much thought to my Freudian slip.

"See? This is why I put up with you," Zack teased, as I raised an eyebrow.

"You 'put up with me' because you wouldn't have a clue what to do if I wasn't around," I replied, and Zack sulked, turning his pouty face to whine at Cloud.

"See what I mean? He's such a manbitch sometimes."

Cloud almost choked on his tonsils at this, laughter bubbling up and catching in his throat, as Zack patted his back and playfully squeezed him around the shoulders.

They'd both be the death of me.

--

This was surely some kind of tortured bliss. Much to my pleasure and simultaneous frustration, Zack had indeed coaxed Cloud to train topless with him, and my eyes were firmly fixated on the sculpted forms before me, thankful for the one sided mirror guarding my lust from their view. How could Gaia be so cruel in laying a buffet out before me and telling me firmly that I was not to even sample the dishes? Zack had the buster sword with him, the sheer size of the blade almost dwarfing the First Class as he moved it nimbly through the air. His hands gripped the hilt firmly, slowly rotating his fingers around it as his body twisted, and turned, and good Gaia I have a filthy mind… It was then that I turned my attentions to Cloud and caught the blonde throwing nervous glances in my direction as he fought off simulation monsters with relative skill. I knew he couldn't actually see me, but he knew I was there, and he was looking for me…

Through the years, there had been attractive cadets a-plenty to come through Shinra. With many of them, their flattery and affections towards me were disregarded with a cold shoulder. Zachary often said I was being too cruel and to "ease up on them". The truth was, their attentions were usually unwanted and made me feel… uncomfortable… It wasn't something I often admitted, not even to myself, but I had issues dealing with affection. Their lingering leers, and their lustful gazes, and eyes full of hapless admiration… I didn't want it, nor did I need it, and at their level within Shinra, I certainly didn't need them. Perhaps that was arrogant in some aspects, but it was not how I intended to appear.

Cloud however…

What I wouldn't give for his smiles, his adoring and admiring gazes, or to possibly one day, see lust and longing in those eyes… for _me_…

"Sephiroooonyyyy…" I vaguely heard Zack call from the other room, before he tapped on the glass, trying to peer in. I pushed the button for the speaker in the room, and made sure to let out a soft sigh first.

"Yes Lieutenant?"

"Don't gimme that…" Zack retorted, rolling his eyes, "ANYWAY, how do you think Cloud's going?"

I moved my eyes back to the blonde, who was standing rigid, yet toying with the hem of his shirt in awkward shyness.

"I think he's going brilliantly," I said, perhaps a little too softly, watching a small smile creep along Cloud's lips, and a suspicious frown along Zack's. Thankfully, my cell began to ring, and I answered abruptly.

"What is it?" I snapped.

"Good afternoon General…"

"Ah, Tseng," I softened my tone, "How can I help you?"

"I'm currently looking for your Lieutenant. His cell is off, and he is late for duties with the President. As I'm sure you know, President Shinra is not a man who likes to be kept waiting," Tseng said smoothly, "I deducted that you may be with him?"

"Yes. I'll send him in right away. Thank you Commander."

"Take care General," Tseng muttered politely, before hanging up.

Knowing Tseng for as long as I had, it was apparent that he was far less than impressed. I held down the button on the speaker again, as Zack crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently.

"Lieutenant, your presence is required in the president's office immediately…"

"Oh…" Zack frowned, throwing a sideways look to Cloud, "How immediately?"

"I just received a phone call from Tseng. He's less than pleased…"

"Fuck," The Lieutenant muttered, "You two play nice then. Seph, you'll feed the kid, yeah?"

"Of course," I replied smoothly, eyes settling once again on Cloud, who looked both flushed and paled simultaneously. Zack gave the blonde a firm pat on the back before hurriedly grabbing his gear and disappearing through the training door. He then briefly popped his head in through the door and gave me a wary gaze.

"Don't scar the kid for life or anything, okay?" He warned, before disappearing, leaving me to watch the blonde gather his gear through the glass. Scar him for life? No…

Maybe just a little marking, though…

--

Wine him, dine him, spoil him… It's what he deserved, and what he would get. To be bluntly honest, I liked being seen with him. I liked having him shyly floating by my left side, all eyes focused on the both of us, rumours spreading like wildfire. Speculation was that he was my date. I saw no problem with this, whether it was fact or not. I was… proud… to have them all think that…

He was walking by my side as we casually walked through sector six, Cloud insisting we find a place that Zack had dragged him along to.

"This area has one of the highest crime rates in Midgar, and Zack brought you _here_?" I asked disbelievingly, and he laughed a little nervously.

"I know, I know… It _looks _really dodgy," He paused, as a prostitute of some sort watched us walk by and slowly licked her lips, "Uh… okay, well it _is_ kind of dodgy. BUT, it's got a lot of culture that you wouldn't get, back in my hometown. I thought maybe you wouldn't get to look at it much outside of work?"

What an interesting thought. He was right, of course. I tried to avoid the slums as much as was physically possible. I drew far too much attention here, and with the rising terrorist organisations scattered across each sector, I was placing the townspeople at risk by simply being here.

"I don't often come to the slums," I replied, watching as his eyes lit up at every stall and market place we passed, "But it is apparent you find much enjoyment from it."

He blushed slightly, smiling just a little, as he nodded.

"I come from Nibelheim, as you know. It's kind of a quiet town. There are no bright lights, there's no busy talking around the place, and the only odd smell you're likely to get is when we have a slight southerly wind and we get some of the mako from the reactor tainting the air. It's basically a ghost town," He gestured around us, "But this? This is something I don't think I could ever get sick of."

He then stopped abruptly, and I walked into the back of him, almost knocking him off his feet. I grabbed the back of his shoulders to steady him, and he let out a barking noise, seemingly some kind of laugh.

"Are you alright, Cloud?" I asked, subconsciously continuing to hold his shoulders. He turned and smiled awkwardly, scratching his head.

"Yeah, just probably should pay more attention I guess," He said quietly, before clearing his throat, "We're uh, we're here…"

It was far from the places I'd usually eaten at. There was no valet parking, no wait to get in, no doorman, and… Well, there wasn't even a door… Yet, Cloud gave a proud little smile and headed for the door.

"It's… cultural," I remarked, and he gave a slight roll of his eyes.

"You didn't have to say anything. I know that you probably eat at all the five star restaurants on the upper plate and all," He shrugged slightly, "But there's nothing wrong with a new experience, right?"

"Not at all," I nodded, following him inside. The little restaurant was bustling with energy, laughter, conversation, and an odd blend of various smells that I couldn't quite put my finger on. It was certainly different. Most restaurants I ate at were quiet, filled with low murmurs and business propositions. The people there seldom looked as if they were enjoying their meals, too caught up in the stresses of work and business. Here, everyone was smiling. It was odd, to say the least.

"Kinda noisy, sorry sir," Cloud blushed slightly, quieting down again. That was something I was determined of warming him out of. He often burst into talkative periods, where he would treat me like anyone else he might converse with. Then, there would be other times when he seemed to realise who I was, and return to the meek little cadet that he was. He sat down at a little booth in the corner however, and I sat down across from him, many of the restaurant's occupants now focusing their attentions on us, even as their chatter continued.

"So… uh… General Sephiroth…" He laughed nervously, and I gave him a slow, sensual smile, delighting in watching him swallow _hard_. Yes, I had an effect over him, just like I did with Zack.

"You may call me Sephiroth. Remember, I'm not going to bite," I teased lightly, and his cheeks flared brighter. There were no guarantees on that statement however…

"Sorry," Cloud sighed, taking a deep breath, "It's just all happening pretty quick, you know? About a week and a half ago, I was grunt of the year, hanging out with Elliot and falling asleep in tactics classes, and today I trained with a first class SOLDIER, Zack Fair nonetheless, and am out to lunch with the General."

The blonde then snorted slightly, turning his eyes away.

"I guess I'm a little star struck, to be honest," he murmured, "Because I still can't believe how you are in person when for so long I've just stared at you on TV scr-"

He stopped abruptly then, his eyes widening slightly, his cheeks burning brighter.

"Uh, I mean like, I've been uh, watching you… on the news… and stuff…" Cloud nodded, seemingly reassuring himself. My smile grew wider, in spite of myself. He was… fun… He was embarrassed, he was shy, and he was awkward, gawky, undeniably gorgeous… The list continued.

Cloud then turned his gaze as a portly gentleman approached our table, a grease stained apron fastened around his waist. His eyes were wide as he smiled at me, and clapped his hands.

"Welcome, General!" He breathed, as I gave him a polite nod, "It's an honour to be serving you."

"Thank you," I nodded, "You have an interesting atmosphere here…?"

"My name is Ricardo Botticelli, General Sephiroth, sir. I am the owner of the restaurant, as well as head cook. Anything you like sir, anything at all, and we'll make it for you!" The cook beamed, and I nodded once more before turning to Cloud.

"I'd much prefer you ordered first," I smiled slightly, and he blushed.

"Uh, I'd like a special please…" the blonde smiled politely, as Ricardo beamed.

"I remember you. You came in with the Lieutenant just the other day," Ricardo noted, before shouting over his shoulder, "Joey! One special with no eggs or pickles. Extra ham and chicken!"

Cloud positively burned at this, as Ricardo gave a wink.

"You didn't have to eat it last time kid, but it was awful nice of you to try it out anyway," The cook laughed, before turning back to me.

"I'll have whatever he's having," I nodded, and Ricardo repeated the order to Joey.

"I'll excuse myself gentleman. Your meal will be ready in no time at all!" Ricardo bowed, before rushing off to the kitchen.

Cloud gave a small laugh, toying with the salt and pepper shakers on the table.

"He's certainly a character," He remarked, as I nodded. His attempts at small talk did not go un-noticed. He was crawling back into his shell.

"You need not be nervous around me. I appreciate it when people see me as a human being," I said softly, and his face became deadly serious, his eyes sincere and seemingly disturbed as they lifted from the shakers to meet mine.  
"I hope to Gaia you seriously don't let anyone make you believe otherwise," Cloud frowned, still holding my gaze. I frowned a little myself. It was not exactly the way I had intended on letting this conversation go, but honesty was a strong point of mine and I gave the blonde his answers.

"Sometimes I do, yes. They make me uncomfortable, the general public and even the Shinra forces," I admitted, "I feel somewhat like an animal at the zoo. A spectacle. Look around us now, at how many people are looking over here."

Cloud did just that, scowling slightly at each person he made eye contact with.

"You shouldn't look at it like that," the blonde sighed, "They're not gawking at you because there's something wrong with you. They just gawk because you're unbelievably attra-"

"Unbelievably what, Cloud?" I smirked. He said nothing, averting his gaze. He was coy without meaning to be, tantalizing without any effort involved…

"Uh, unbelievably… attracting of attention," He rushed, "Yeah. You know, it's like when you go out and see a movie star sitting at a café somewhere, and everyone asks for their autograph, or wants to have a picture with them. It's not because they look at them as some kind of bug-eyed Martian, it's just because they're so well admired."

I watched him over my pent fingers, as he blushed further and turned his gaze from mine.

"I dunno, maybe it's not the best way to put it?" He shrugged, as Ricardo bustled back with our food and hurriedly scuttled away with another bow. I gingerly picked up the fork he'd placed on the table and prodded the ham on my plate. It at least looked edible…

"I wouldn't know," I said conversationally, "I've never been to a movie theatre, and I rarely have the time to sit back and watch a movie at home."

He looked horrified at this, and I shifted slightly in my chair. People often reacted with little more than a nod when they found out such things regarding myself. Cloud however, seemed genuinely surprised.

"You've never been to the movies?!" The blonde cried, before blushing and lowering his tone, a few more gazes turning back in our direction.

"Sorry, I guess I just didn't expect it…" Cloud shrugged, shoveling some chicken into his mouth. I placed some ham in my own and chewed, surprised to find the quality rather high. When I picked up more ham and eagerly began chewing on that also, Cloud smiled widely.

"There you go, there's a good example," He nodded, "Most people who come here would think that they know what to expect. They'd think the food was bad, over-priced, and probably lethal. But they make all those judgments before they even try the food. You probably thought the same, right?"

I nodded, and he continued.

"See? Then you got to know the food and realised that it wasn't what everyone expects it to be like," He shrugged awkwardly, "That's kind of like you too. Most people expect you to be a certain way. But most people have never taken the time of day to get to know you a bit. Am I right?"

He met my gaze and held it. Of course he was right. He was an insightful little being. I nodded, and he smiled gently as he continued to eat, provoking a small smile from my own lips. He was impossible. Not even Zack had managed to draw so many smiles from my lips in public. I couldn't decide whether or not this skill of the blonde's had any danger behind it. He had an effect on me that was breaking down the walls I'd so adamantly forced up in public, and he seemed entirely unaware of it.

We ate in silence for a short while until we'd finished our meals, and Ricardo practically leapt over to our table.

"Did you enjoy the meal General?" He asked eagerly, and I nodded.

"Fine work indeed, Ricardo. Thank you," I nodded, and he looked as if he may implode with joy. I handed over 200 Gil, and insisted he kept the change, as both he and Cloud floundered for words.

"Gener- Uh… I mean, Sephiroth," Cloud choked, "You didn't need to uh, pay for my meal, I brought enough money along with me to-"

"For one thing, Cloud, you deserve nothing less than to be spoilt," I murmured, as his cheeks flared, "And secondly, I refuse to have Zack outdo me."

He laughed a little at that, before standing up and nodding graciously.

"Thank you then," He smiled, as I stood up also.

"My pleasure. If I may Cloud, I have an idea?" I provoked, and he turned a curious gaze in my direction as we exited the restaurant.

"Oh?" He remarked lightly, "What might that be?"

"I'd like to perhaps see a movie. Would that be something that would interest you?" I asked, as his jaw dropped open slightly.

"Uh… Sure, well, that is… if you want to, I mean, I'm not sure what it is you might like to see, or where we could go, or even how much movie tickets are lately... And then there's the whole issue of snacks and such, and it could end up being one expensive ordeal that could leave us both entirely broke…" He spluttered, and I simply cocked an eyebrow. He blushed deeply, and let out a smile.

"Sorry…" He apologised, "It's still a little daunting I guess. Movies are kind of a date thing, just so you know. I wasn't sure whether you knew that or not. Uh.. but I mean, it doesn't have to be. I mean, of course it's not, just letting you know that that's what people usually go and do on first dates and stuff, you know? Not that this is a first date or anything! I just meant that…"

"Cloud, you're rambling," I smirked, and he abruptly closed his mouth as we headed towards the theatre. I paused as we approached the ticket booth, and I turned to meet his gaze with a teasing smile.

"And yes, I know about the movies as first date material. Take from that what you wish," I said simply, as he laughed nervously.

Oh yes, this would be fun…

--

**A/N:** Muahahaha. :3

Oh, you're not gonna like this… BUT… been called away for a work trip. Leaving tomorrow morning and won't be back home for… about four weeks? *carefully dodges barrage of 'boos', hisses, and rotten tomatoes* PLEASE don't hate me ;-;

Unless I can bribe a friend of mine to keep posting chapters, I'll see you guys in a month or so ._. Sorry, again. =(


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, so I got a day off and sent back to Melbourne. Trust me; I'm more surprised than you guys. Anyway, that means I got to quickly throw up this chapter.

In other news, I've been getting several personal messages lately that are honestly making me reconsider fanfiction.

I can't help it if I'm not home. I would LOVE to be able to stay here and write non stop every day, but I can't. Yes, it was a bit stupid of me to keep posting new stories without finishing old ones, but it doesn't mean I've given up on them. It just means I barely have _TIME_ for them. I barely have time for anything. My family, my friends, my social life in general. It makes me wonder if it's worthwhile continuing writing, if people are just going to attack me about things that are out of my control. Don't get me wrong, I love you all, but I'm a human being. Please don't treat me like a big disappointment in your lives simply because I have no time in mine. It's not helping. I _am_ trying my best, honestly. Anyway, sorry about that, on with the story…

_Association- Chapter Four_

_'Grunt' Strife's point of View._

_Cloud's just a cadet, a grunt, a nobody. Always has been. So, naturally, it would be impossible that the implications the almighty General Sephiroth just made __**really**__ meant what he thought they did. He must be stuck in one of __**those**__ dreams again. Not that he was complaining… _

--

I was losing it. Somewhere in my deluded fanboy fantasies, a part of my brain had just accepted that Sephiroth had implied possibly maybe taking me on a date of some sort of possible description. Maybe. I found myself laughing like a little schoolgirl, and almost passing out as those big beautiful eyes narrowed in on me and glittered a little with what appeared to be amusement. Ah Gaia, I was going to kill Zack. I mean, it wasn't like I was pissed about spending time with the General and all, but it was… Gaia, it was all a little overwhelming. I felt ridiculous. I was grunt of the year one day, going to the movie theatres with General _Sephiroth_, the living, breathing wet dream, the day after.

"Would you like something to eat or drink, Cloud?" He asked quietly, as I mindlessly followed after him into the lobby.

"Uhm, no, thank you. Not that I'm being ungrateful or anything, because I'm not. It's just that when you come to a movie theatre, the food and the drinks, and the various other little bits and pieces are bound to cost an arm and a leg, and possibly even a foot…" I laughed nervously, and he gave me one of those slow, sensual little smiles. Okay, so maybe he wasn't trying to be sensual, but Gaia, he was very much a sensual being.

"You're rambling again, Cloud," He teased, "Do I intimidate you?"

Yes. Yes, just a little. In fact, you're so undeniably beautifully attractively gorgeous that I think I could collapse into a sobbing, drooling puddle of admiration at your feet.

"No. I guess I'm still, you know, a little daunted."

"Don't be. I'd rather you were comfortable with me. It would be good for not only the both of us, but for Zack's sake also," Sephiroth then nodded, and my mind trailed off to thoughts of the Lieutenant.

Gaia, teenage hormones, what were they doing to me? I had two gorgeous men waltz into my life out of nowhere, and my body had barely had a state of ease since. Elliot would be spewing from the jealousy if he were to see me now. Either that or dry humping the General's leg. I snorted out loud at the mental image, and the General raised an eyebrow. Shit.

"Uh, sorry. Just thought of something funny," I explained awkwardly, scratching the back of my head for what felt like the fiftieth time that day. He nodded, seemingly in acceptance of the explanation, before heading to the candy bar and buying two mega cokes and a jumbo popcorn.

"You don't mind sharing do you?" He asked flatly, and it took several moments for my body to recover from the seizure.

"Uh… no sir, it's fine," I chanced a smile, and he offered a glimmer of one back. Who was I kidding? I shouldn't be feeling intimidated by him, he was just like a normal guy, just… abnormally attractive… and abnormally strong… and a little abnormally socially awkward… But _still_ just a normal guy. I'd told him so myself.

"If it's cheaper, we can share a drink if you want," I shrugged as casually as I could muster, "I don't spit-back, I swear."

He smirked at this, and shook his head.

"Firstly, money is not ever an issue when I choose to invite you out somewhere. Secondly, I believe you don't… 'spit-back'…" he quirked his brow just a little at this, "And thirdly, I doubt it would bother me regardless."

He speaks like a real gentleman. Seriously. He words everything as eloquently as he does in press conferences. It was kinda hot, but a little different to say the least. I was letting my mind wander too much. I decided to simply shut up and grab at the drink he offered to me, tailing along behind him as he headed into the theatre.

Back at Nibelheim, we had one theatre. It was basically twenty seats in front of Susan Milford's feature wall, with a projector behind us. She was the richest girl in town; had a DVD player and everything. Mum always used to say I should marry her some day and I'd never have to work again. She'd then laugh hysterically at the thought before puttering off to do her self-taught knitting or pottery classes. Anyway, when I hit the big city, it was a major culture shock. For one thing, they played more than old western movies and _The Godfather_. They actually had movies that had just been released. They weren't even _on_ DVD. It was unthinkable back home. The guys in my class had just about wet themselves when they'd overheard me telling Elliot all about it, and I'd gradually come to realise that the town really was, as Zack had put it, a 'backwash' town. I got to think whether Zack's town was the same. Maybe he'd had the same kind of experiences when he'd first come to Midgar. Maybe he'd been a bit of a laughing stock at his expense. I pushed the idea away though. That guy had enough charm to turn any joke on him into something classy and enjoyable for everyone involved. He was more than a pretty face, I'd come to find out, and he was certainly something to be appreciated from many angle- Good Gaia, I'm out of control. I inwardly groaned and plopped myself on a seat beside Sephiroth, right up the back.

"I wouldn't know… Is this a preferred location for viewing purposes?" He asked curiously, looking around the theatre at all the other empty spaces, as if determining which one would suit his purposes best.

"Yeah, it's pretty good actually," I nodded, smiling; "Besides, if the movie gets boring, it's the best vantage point to throw popcorn from."

He furrowed his brows slightly, seemingly in confusion, and I bit back a snort. He was almost… cute…

"It was like a joke," I explained, "You know, throwing popcorn at other people?"

I demonstrated by taking a few pieces and throwing them to an empty space in the theatre.

"Oh I knew that," He smirked, "I just didn't realise you were such a delinquent."

My cheeks flared for the hundredth time that day. I scoffed, turning my nose up at him, as a low laugh rumbled through his chest. Ah lord. Hormones, again, were flooding that noise through my body and directly to my… uh… more sensitive areas… I had a good act so far. Zack and Sephiroth had both seemed to have found me to be a little on the naïve side, and I'd yet to let the teenage hornbag within me rear its ugly head. Don't get me wrong, the country boy within me led me to be naturally shy, and I was. I was very shy. But once I got comfortable around people as attractive as Sephiroth and Zack were, well… I had very little control over my words and actions.

The speakers began to burst out noise, as the previews began, and Sephiroth leaned down a little closer, his breath tickling the hair on the back of my neck and standing it on end.

"They let you watch sneak peeks of movies that aren't even screening yet?" He asked, and I nodded, trembling slightly as my body went haywire.

"Yes sir, it's kind of a way to get you to come to the movies when they _are_ available," I nodded, and blushed slightly, when his gaze lingered, his smirk widening slightly.

"Will I ever get you to stop calling me 'sir' when we're off duty?" He asked curiously, and I nervously held his gaze.

"Possibly," I shrugged slightly, "The thing is, is that whether we're on or off duty, I have a tendency to still see you as my superior… Sir…"

He smirked a little, before taking a drink from his cup and trying to focus on the previews. I did the same, well aware that his eyes had quickly trailed back to me.

"I have to admit, you have interesting quirks to you, Cadet," He remarked lightly, as I pointedly averted my gaze.

"Me?"

"Naturally. Were you aware that your nose twitches a little whilst you drink?" He asked, and I stared down the end of my nose in curious amusement.

"No," I replied, "But were you aware that you bite your lower lip a little when you're doing paper work that's really boring?"

He looked mildly surprised at this.

"No. How did _you_ become aware of that?" He asked, and I stared down my straw into my soda.

"Lieutenant Fair, naturally," I nodded, "He also says that you fold your tissues three times before you blow your nose every single time."

He sat in silence for a little, seemingly a little amused by the findings, before meeting my gaze once again.

"It appears Zack pays a fair amount of attention to my actions," he remarked thoughtfully.

Well duh. Everyone does.

"How could he not? It's pretty hard to just be around you and not absorb every little tick and twitch," I snorted, before realising once again, that my mouth had just had verbal diarrhea. Ah Gaia, save me, I'm burning up so bad I think I'm going to explode. It was never a particularly good trait. Ever since I was a five year old, my ma had constantly been feeding me the same line.

"_Think before you speak Cloud, or one day you'll get a boot so far up your tooshie that it will be able to do your thinking for you."_

So far, the clearly inspirational words of wisdom from my mother had done little to stop me from spewing up whatever my mind had been chewing on like some sick dog.

"You're blushing, Cloud," He murmured, taking a handful of popcorn and idly chewing on it, amused eyes still focused on me.

"I'm aware of that, General…" I muttered under my breath, and he let out a single cough of laughter, seemingly dislodging a popcorn kernel from his throat. Through years of watching Sephiroth on the television, seeing him in the newspapers, spending long night time 'sessions' with him firmly in my head, never had I envisioned him laughing, or even smiling. Yet, here he was, the man in all of that glorious flesh, a human being. Undoubtedly, he was still a God. Yet, he was a God among men.

He said very little, as the movie finally came to a start, and the credits began to roll. I'd been in such a state of mind when we'd come here, that I'd not even paid attention to what it was we were seeing. As the title came up, I paled a little. _In the name of a SOLDIER. _I knew all about _this_ particular movie. It was a movie revolving around true events, supposedly from the Wutaian War. The main character was an exceptionally good portrayal of none other than Sephiroth himself.

"Uh, General?" I began, and he nodded to show he was listening, "Do you have any idea what this film is about?"

"No. I'd much rather surprise myself."

He'd be surprised alright…

"Are you sure you don't want to see another film? The tickets are refundable up until fifteen minutes through the feature presentation," I pushed a little, and he finally moved his eyes to give me a sidelong glance.

"I'm intrigued now, of course," he remarked, "As to why you would be unwilling for me to watch this."

One review from an online blog now stood out in my mind.

"In the name of a SOLDIER _is a brilliantly choreographed and directed film, as is to be expected from Salvador Munchi. As is per usual, Bryan Konietzko's acting skills are put to the test, this time portraying General Sephiroth of Shinra's SOLDIER forces. As a female, excuse my biased opinion in declaring that Bryan is by far the most accurate portrayal of the General in war movies so far, and if anything, head to your local theatre for a little over two hours of some of the most amazing eye candy you'll be likely to see this year, just short of the General himself. Ladies, keep your eyes out for a raunchy scene where Munchi has brazenly dared to allow full frontal nudity of Konietzko's form."_

I'd been hanging to see that movie since the instant I'd read that review. It had been out in theatres for about a fortnight now, and I'd not had the courage to venture into the movie theatre on my own, too cautious of how my body might react to such a display. Elliot had seen it on the day it had first come out. He got home late and retired to the bathroom for a good hour with a bottle of lotion and a box of tissues. Any time I'd asked him how the movie was, he'd flushed and fanned himself, giggling like a giddy schoolgirl. Now, here I was, with Sephiroth himself, effectively going to see Sephiroth naked in what was rumored to be the most daring sex scene since the creation of film.

"No particular reason," I murmured finally, and he turned his attention to the screen as shots rang out. The movie was opening with a fierce battle scene. SOLDIERs were scattered across a battlefield, gunfire from every direction, as a figure suspiciously reminiscent of Zack dive rolled from an exploding grenade and smiled charmingly at a wounded second class.

"It's okay SOLDIER," 'Zack' reassured, "Help is on its way."

Then, with an epic backdrop of music, a fleeting glimpse of leather and steel sails above 'Zack' and the camera spins to see the back of a figure in a field helmet, as Wutaian soldiers fall around him. Then, the figure turns and removes the helmet, silver locks spilling down his back, emerald green eyes staring a little right of the camera. It was at this point that Sephiroth chose to spray his soda halfway across the theatre. Several others in the theatre turned their attentions to the back, scowling, apparently not paying too much attention to who the individual actually was, before hissing a 'Shh!' in the General's direction.

After several moments, Sephiroth had calmed, a barely suppressed smirk toying along his lips. That was certainly _not_ the reaction I had expected. Anger, annoyance, confusion even? A definite yes. Borderline hysterical laughter? No.

"Are you alright General?" I whispered cautiously, and he nodded slightly, watching with amusement as the fight continued on the screen. His eyes were focusing intently, watching every delicate maneuver of his portrayal, and seemingly critically analyzing each one.

"This is ridiculous," He murmured, "Are you aware of all the faults in this portrayal's techniques? He might as well be holding her by the tip of the blade."

'Her' must be Masamune. I was yet to see her in battle, but was far convinced that no special effect would ever compare to the real thing.

"You're not meant to critically analyze it," I whispered, "Just sit back and enjoy the movie."

He nodded, diving his hand into the popcorn box and shoveling a large amount into his mouth, followed quickly by some soda. He was almost transfixed for the next hour, his eyes watching intently in most parts, except for the more elaborate battles. At these, he allowed his gaze to wander around the theatre and observe the other participant's reactions, clearly too irked by the imperfections to pay terribly too much attention.

Now, on-screen Sephiroth was seated at a make-shift desk, raising his eyes from his paperwork as on-screen Zack knocked on the door and entered. I heard a soft squeal from a pair of girls a few rows down of 'Here we go!' and felt the colour drain from my face. It couldn't be. The graphic sex scene was… Sephiroth and… _Zack_? I cautiously turned my eyes to Sephiroth, whose attention was straying from the screen as he idly picked corn kernels from his teeth. Seemingly, he found the theatre's darkness comfortable enough to let his guard down a little. Hopefully, he'd stay distracted enough to miss a majority of the scene. His eyes remained straying across the theatre, as the on-screen scene continued.

"I was wondering if it was possible for you to inspect the wound, General," 'Zack' said in all seriousness.

"Protocol would demand I send you to the infirmary, but as your friend," 'Sephiroth' frowned slightly, "I'll assist you this once."

Come to think of it, this movie was awful. The plot line was horrible, and the acting skills were below par, yet I felt my breath catch as 'Sephiroth' muttered a single line.

"You'll have to remove your clothes, Lieutenant."

At this, in-cinema Sephiroth's attention immediately snapped to the screen, transfixed as 'Zack' removed his top layers of clothing. The actor portraying Zack, Andy Berman, had clearly spent a lot of time working on a physique to rival Zack's in appearance. It would never be as toned, or well defined, but it was enough to start playing tricks on my mind. I was looking at the screen, and I was not seeing Andy Berman and Bryan Konietzko; I was seeing Zack and Sephiroth.

As each body had a little more skin revealed, I felt my blood rushing to my ears, my throat going dry as Sephiroth uncomfortably shifted in the seat beside me. He then abruptly stood, a slight glow in his eyes, and cleared his throat slightly.

"We have to go…" He murmured, and my own embarrassment betrayed me in a floundering mess.

"I… but… what?"

"We have to go," He repeated, taking me by the elbow and steering me out of the theatre. The fan girls from earlier threw popcorn at us as we left, scowling with apparent dislike.

"Boo! Homophobes!" They leered, as we practically flew past, Sephiroth steering me firmly out of the theatre and into the cold outside air. He let go of my arm and began walking at a brisk pace, leaving me to trot along after him, still stunned and flustered. Oh Gaia, we hadn't even stayed for the whole scene and my skin was burning to the touch. I was practically steaming the thin coating of frost on the ground beneath my feet as I struggled to find words to apologise for the movie. Sure, it wasn't my fault, but Sephiroth was walking at such a firm and brusque pace I assumed he was even more pissed than I first assumed. Oh that could not have gone any worse. Surely, there was no other way to be humiliated as badly as I just was.

"General…" I muttered, as he continued his fiery pace. He barely offered me so much as a second glance, as we passed many uncomfortable and frightened faces, apparently catching the glow in Sephiroth's eyes and sensing trouble.

"I… I tried to tell you, but you were curious, and I… I didn't mean for… I didn't think that you would…" I struggled, before he disappeared abruptly. Before I realised what had happened, he'd pulled me into the alleyway he'd slipped into, and had me pinned with my back against the wall, his hands pushing back on my shoulders as his burning gaze held mine. He leant in close to my ears, and his warm breath tickled enough at my skin to make me almost buckle at the knees. I thought _that_ was enough of a tortured bliss, until his following words proved me wrong.

"If I didn't appreciate you as much as I do, I would take you against this wall right here and now," He murmured huskily, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear. In spite of myself, a shaky little moan left my lips as he very briefly took my earlobe into his mouth and allowed his teeth to graze slightly. Gaia. Holy mother of fuck. That did _not_ just happen.

As quickly as we'd disappeared off the street, we were just as quickly thrust back onto it, as he continued his brisk pace and left me stunned and aroused to the point that I was dizzied, stuck momentarily to the spot he'd left me. After a few moments, I regained a small shred of my sanity and trotted after him, my breath unsteady and shallow, even as he continued to burn a path with his eyes for us. We were at his office in no time, and his secretary stammered out a welcome as he approached.

"G-General Sephiroth Sir! Welcome back!" He choked, as Sephiroth nodded.

"Cancel all my meetings for the day and make sure I'm not disturbed," He said firmly, disappearing abruptly into his office. The secretary offered me a sympathetic smile, seemingly meant to be encouraging. I needed no encouragement, as I stepped into the General's office, and closed the door behind me, before being gradually backed against it. Sephiroth had lost his fiery forcefulness, and instead smirked down at me teasingly, his eyes still glowing with a mako tinge. I'm in a daydream… I fell asleep at the movie theatre, and any moment now, Sephiroth is going to wake me up and politely ask me to stop snoring or something.

"Cloud," he rumbled, the noise reverberating through his chest in a growl. I swallowed hard as my back finally hit the door, his hands resting either side of my head.

"I…"

"You captivate me," He murmured, his eyes tracing my face as my cheeks flared, my self control quickly slipping from my hands.

"Thank you…?" I breathed, as his body slowly pressed against mine, his face only inches from my own.

"I had never taken an interest in a cadet, Cloud," He said lowly, "Until you came along…"

I'm dreaming. I'm dreaming. I'm dreaming. This has to be a dream. It was far too unbelievable, far-fetched, whatever it needed to be. It was another one of _those _dreams, and I'd wake up any minute now in the theatre with an embarrassingly noticeable hard-on and no way to get rid of it.

"I want you, Cloud," he murmured huskily, and I choked back a moan.

"Ohh Gaia…" I squeaked, and he smirked deviously.

"And… I believe you want me," He practically purred, holding my gaze with a fiery intent.

Fuck it. This was my dream; I'd play it how I wanted it to be played. I dove in, closing the distance between our lips, and hungrily devouring the General's lips before probing them with my tongue. If there was one thing country people knew how to do, it was kiss. His lips slid open and accepted my probing, matching it and then dominating it with his own. Wait… That's not usually how the dreams went. I got to play the dominating role right until it came up to the… Anyway, the point was, I would have been in charge. Instead, he was grabbing my thighs to rest around his waist as he threw me against the door and ground a little against my hips. I let out a surprised gasp, before he latched onto my neck and bit down just enough to toy on the border of pleasure and pain. Hormones raged again and I moaned against his cheek, his eyes flying open to meet mine, before closing as he let out a soft groan of his own, our crotches meeting directly for a brief moment. He was as turned on as I was.

His tore off his gloves with his teeth, still holding me against the door, before latching his lips onto my own and sliding his fingers underneath my shirt to trail along my burning skin. It was then that a loud knock resounded on the door, and Sephiroth's eyes snapped open with a genuine deadly intensity, his lips slowly pulling from mine.

"I am _not_ to be disturbed, Andrew," the General said coldly, ice whipping at his words.

"Give the guy a break man, he slaves his ass off for you," Came an all too familiar voice, instantly sobering the both of us, "And so do I, so move your fat ass and let me in."

"Zachary…" The General murmured, abruptly straightening himself and hurriedly adjusting my uniform. His eyes held mine with a lust filled longing for a few more moments, before he forced it away and opened the door as soon as I'd scurried across the room and flung myself on to the couch. Zack. How could I have forgotten about Zack? Gaia, there was something about Sephiroth that had made me lose control. In all truthfulness, which sane person, man or woman, would have been able to resist such a God? It was all perfectly good reasoning, but why did it feel like I'd still done something wrong? I mean, it wasn't like Zack and I were even dating…

"Evening gentleman," Zack tipped an imaginary hat to us both as he stepped inside, cheerful grin plastered across his face. He then latched eyes onto me, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"Are you okay Cloud? You're a little red in the cheeks. You look kinda flustered?" Zack suggested, and I bit onto the first lie that flew through my head.

"I'm feeling a little unwell. I guess it's the sudden weather changes all the time," I smiled a little shakily, watching a slow smirk creep across Sephiroth's lips from over Zack's shoulder.

Zack seemed to buy it as he plopped himself down on the couch and flung an arm around my neck. His hands were warm against my skin, but they were nothing to that dazzling smile. Gaia, what was _wrong_ with me?

"You want some of my ma's world famous chicken soup? She gave me the recipe and I can make a pretty good batch," he winked, "I'm not just a pretty face, ya know?"

Oh yes, I know. I know that all too well.

"Uh, sure. Why not?" I smiled, and Zack pulled me to my feet, before spinning me around to face Sephiroth.

"I'm glad you two played nice at least. It's good to see you both come out of it alive," He smiled teasingly at Sephiroth, "And it's nice to see you not eat the kid alive."

Ah Gaia Zack, he nearly did, I swear it. He's evil in a delightfully sexy, charming, entirely irresistible way. If that devilish little glint in his eyes was any indication, it was something he knew all about.

"Cloud is wonderful company," Sephiroth said politely, "I enjoyed today."

"Good. Maybe you guys should hang out more often," Zack laughed, before ruffling my hair, "Providing it wasn't entirely too traumatic for you?"

"I'm uh… No, it was fine. I enjoyed it too," I shrugged, and had I not been so cautious of Zack's emotions, I may have missed the fleeting suspicion through his eyes before his smile broke into a grin.

"Let's get you home. Catch you later Stuffy-pants," He waved, as he steered me for the door.

"Goodbye Lieutenant, goodbye Cloud…" He smirked a little, as I looked back at him, and my skin flared up again. As the door closed behind us, Zack's grip on my shoulder tightened a little.

"He didn't… bother you, did he?" He asked quietly, all sincere concern across his face.

"No, no, he didn't do anything wrong," I smiled reassuringly, "It's just a little daunting to be around him I guess. He certainly gets a lot of attention."

"That's probably more because of his looks than his fame," Zack smiled a little distantly, and a part of me seized up. Maybe Zack and Sephiroth had a little more to them then friendship after all. Shit. Was I coming between that or what? Come to think of it… The instant Sephiroth had flared up with mako was when he and Zack had been together in the movie. Maybe it flared up a memory he'd already had with a bare chested Lieutenant. Gaia though, I wasn't even one of the characters in the movie, and it had certainly sent my pulse racing. Not to mention the fan girls up the front. They weren't even male _or_ gay and they were totally digging it… That didn't really make sense though, why would two girls find some sort of pleasure in watching two guys on the screen starting to get butt naked with each-

"So what did you two do today, whilst I slaved my ass off for this glorious organisation?" Zack interrupted my musings, and I stared blankly at him for a moment. He shook me a little by the shoulder to snap me out of it, and it was only then that I realised he was still walking with his arm around me. It was as if he paid little attention to the people that we walked by.

"We had lunch and went to see a movie," I shrugged, and he faltered.

"A… movie? He actually went… to a _movie_?" he spluttered, and I smiled uncomfortably, nodding as he let out a hysterical bout of laughter.

"One thing you'll come to learn about Stuffy-Pants," Zack explained, "Is that you will never _ever_ be able to figure out what's going on in that head of his. I've never met anyone in my entire life that even comes close to being as unpredictable as he is."

Understatement of the frickin year, Lieutenant.

"It's not always a bad thing though. He really keeps you on your toes, and his quick thinking both takes and saves lives," Zack nodded, his smile noticeably softer and less mocking. Unlike Sephiroth, Zack wore his heart on his sleeve, and you could tell Sephiroth was a big part of it. Ah Gaia, the complications of a teenager. Except, you know, most teenage boys didn't make out with Sephiroth today in a raunchy little kiss against the General's door. I swiped at my nose, sure that any moment now, torrential flows of blood would burst from my nostrils. At least that's what happened in all the cartoons I watched, but I was yet to see it occur any where in real life…

"…Cloud?" Zack waved a hand in front of my face and I turned vacant eyes in his direction. Ah Gaia, I've gotta stop zoning out.

"Hmm?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah. What did you say?"

"Where'd you guys go for lunch?" He grinned, "Somewhere flash and fancy? Seph's got high taste, so yeah, wouldn't surprise me."

"Oh, no… We went to that little place in sector six that you took me," I replied, and he seemed well beyond surprise.

"Ricardo's? You're kidding me…"

"Nah, he really liked it there too. Felt a little uncomfortable with the stares and stuff, but he enjoyed the food," I explained, and Zack's eyes narrowed slightly, seemingly of their own will, before he plastered on another wide grin.

"Well… Glad you guys had fun then!" He laughed, clapping an arm around my shoulder and pulling me to him. He placed a kiss on top of my head, and my cheeks flared.

"I'm always here if you need to talk about anything, ok? I'm intending on looking after you to the best of my abilities," He smiled gently, running a hand through my hair and placing another kiss on my temple this time. I smiled shyly, and he laughed.

"Sorry kid, you're just so damn cute…" He teased, squeezing my shoulder.

"Damn SOLDIERs…" I murmured in embarrassment, before freezing. I looked down the hallway and met eye to eye with none other than Elliot, who was gaping like a stuffed cod. Shiva, I'd never hear the end of it…

Elliot quickly wiped the stunned look off his face and practically skipped down the hall towards us, as I felt Zack's grip get noticeably tighter around my shoulders.

"Cloudy pants!" He chimed, stopping a few feet in front of me, before turning his gaze immediately to Zack.

"Hello Lieutenant," He nodded, offering a brief salute, "Always a pleasure."

"Elliot," Zack nodded, as Elliot's cheeks gained a noticeable tinge and his eyes glossed slightly.

"I'm flattered you remembered my name, sir," he smiled flirtatiously, and I felt my eyes roll with little conscious effort from me.

"Your past actions have made it a little hard to forget, cadet," Zack smiled, far from his usual charming blaze of a grin. Instead, you could probably compare it to a thinly pressed line that just barely flicked at the edges. Kind of looked like he was mildly constipated… Not that Elliot cared. To him, a smile was a smile, even if it lacked no joy behind it in the slightest. Naïve son of a bitch…

"It's always good to hear I'm getting attention off the first class SOLDIERs, Sir," Elliot breathed, before returning his gaze to me and cocking a brow, "And where have _you_ been?"

"Uh…"

"He's been out with the General," Zack jumped in, as Elliot's eyes damn near fell out of their sockets.

"…Excuse me?" Elliot breathed.

"He went out for lunch and a movie with the General," Zack repeated.

Gaia Zack shut up… please… urgh… Even now, as Elliot turned positively blazing eyes in my direction, I knew that there would be the mother of an interrogation heading my way as soon as Zack left.

"Now if you don't mind, I was having a conversation with Cloud," Zack smiled, once again seemingly forced, "So maybe you two can catch up when I bring him home, hey?"

Elliot nodded, offering a shaky salute and a scandalous grin, before basically running down the hall. Everyone would know about this before the end of the day. Everyone.

"He's kinda a pain in the ass…" Zack frowned slightly, before smiling and scratching the back of his head, "Uh, no offence or anything."

"He is," I agreed, "But you get used to him."

"I don't think I ever will, just personally," Zack frowned, before giving me a quick hug and shrugging apologetically.

"With that said, sorry Cloud, but I've got some stuff that needs to be addressed as soon as possible," He smiled softly, "But I'll see you around, yeah?"

I nodded, and he gave a wink, before turning on his heel and heading back to where we came from.

Elliot and Zack. They'd both be the death of me.

--

**A/N:** I don't know when I'll be able to post next. I'm sorry.

Love for you all. *hug hug hug*


	5. Chapter 5

**Warnings: See previous chapters.**

**Also, sad/depressed/angst filled Zack (Kinda OOC), as well as some implied one-sided Aerith/Zack. **

_Association- Chapter Six_

_Lieutenant Fair's point of view_

_Zack had never been the brightest bulb in the ceiling, but he was far from an idiot. He could see what was going on, and it was killing him from the inside out. The only thing he couldn't get his grip around was why. When he figures it out, he starts wondering if it would have been easier if he never knew at all._

--

Gaia, it was hard to describe. It was like some messed up acid running through every single pore in my body and chewing me up alive. It was just burning, and gnawing, and pretty much tearing me apart. That son of a bitch. In reality, sure I knew I couldn't beat him, but reality was far from my mind right now and I was very well tempted to at least _try_ and kick his ass. I'd kept up a good front so far. To most, I was a happy go lucky kind of guy who was a little on the ditzy side. People liked me for it, and it gave me an opportunity to keep it to myself when I was a little more clued on then people had come to expect, and Gaia was I clued on right now. His secretary opened his mouth as I approached, but I didn't even hear if he made an attempt to stop me, before I flung open the door and slammed it behind me. He raised emerald eyes in a rare show of surprise, before offering a small smile.

"Zachary, always a pleasu-"

"Shut the fuck up, _General_," I spat, slamming my fists palms down on his desk. His smile fell, as I felt the blood rushing to my cheeks, my anger starting to consume me. Shit, this couldn't be good. I had to think at least a little rationally here and try and calm the hell down.

"…What did you _do_?" I asked, and he flicked eyes from mine, turning them to the side, before letting out a small smile.

"You're angry at me?" He asked quietly, and I swear I could have grabbed him by those silvery locks and smacked his head flat against his desk.

"_Yes_, I am angry at you! Gaia, are you frickin retarded?! Of _course_ I'm pissed!" I spat, and he reluctantly raised his eyes back to mine.

"Why is that?" He asked, and I froze.

Why _was_ I mad?

Okay, so I came in here on a mission of revenge. Someone had touched Cloud in some way. No, not just someone, it was _Sephiroth_. I couldn't bring myself to see how far it went, but nobody could miss that sexual tension that I walked into just before. I'd interrupted _something_, and I was well beyond pissed. But why? _Why_ did it bother me so Gaia damned _much_? I fell back into my desk chair opposite him, and massaged my temples. I could feel the monster of a headache coming on. In my case, that usually meant a case of too much thinking.

"I exchanged a kiss with him," he said quietly, and I could hear the plead in his voice for me to look at him. Fat chance. I gave him the cold shoulder. I sat there, I leant back in my chair, and I focused on pretending I was somewhere else right now. I could just get up and leave I guess, but Gaia… I couldn't _just_ get up and leave…

"…Why?" I asked, and he was silent for some time.

"I find him attractive. He's different. A rarity, you might say…" He explained, and my chest tightened a little. It was freaking me out on so many levels. To have sure confirmation that Cloud went for guys, to hear Sephiroth talk about someone else so openly and affectionately, to know that somewhere along the line those two had seen something in the other that they hadn't seen in me and- Holy Gaia… I'd fallen for the both of them. Fuck. Fuck me to hell. This wasn't _fair_. This wasn't how things were meant to work out. But fuck me, there was no point lying to myself any more. Those feelings for Seph were too strong to be just friendship, and this fierce protection for Cloud was more than platonic. I was jealous. Of the both of them. No, there was no need to lie to myself any more. To them though, why the hell not?

I plastered on a cheerful smile as I removed my hands and turned my eyes to face him. He looked beyond concerned, and there was something a little comforting and familiar in that, but it wasn't enough.

"That's alright then. As long as you got alright intentions with the kid, then I'm pretty rapt for you two, ya know?" I grinned, and he offered a cautious smile.

"Why were you so upset, Zachary?"

Shit. Quick thinking.

"You idiot," I teased, smile widening, "I just got a little shitty that you didn't tell me earlier. Thought we were friends."

"I apologise, I wasn't sure of my own intentions," He frowned, "Are you sure you're okay with whatever may or may not result from today's incident?"

No. No, I am _not_ okay. I feel like there's a sick dog in my chest chewing on my heart like a squeaky toy, and the bastard won't get his teeth out.

"Pffsh! Of course I'm alright! Tired as all hell though, I'll catch you later, yeah?" I grinned, hopping to my feet with my usual spring in my step. He offered a nod of his head and stood to lead me to the door. As I was about to leave, he placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezed it, and held my eye contact for a few moments. There was something in that gaze that he wanted to tell me, but he said nothing more than "Take care."

It made me wonder how long ago he'd started keeping things from me.

It hurt.

I walked past the secretary, who gave me a curious gaze that I promptly ignored, my feet guiding me to the training hall. I didn't bother switching to my training gear, my mind too distracted to focus on anything else but down, crouch, up, down, crouch, up, repeat. I lost count sometime after two hundred squats, before my empty thoughts were interrupted by a shrill ring from my cell phone. I took it out from my pocket and glanced at the caller ID. Gaia, she had good timing. She had better timing then me though. I couldn't deal with even speaking to her right now. She had a way of sapping you dry of every thought and emotion you had in you, till you were exhausted and sleeping unconscious in her flower beds.

"Later, babes…" I murmured to the silence, as she finally gave up calling. Where was I meant to go from here? I'd never had an experience where I'd gained so many personal shocks in the one minute. It was an epiphany of sorts, I suppose, but who really wanted one? I needed to get out of here for awhile.

--

One eighty, one ninety, two hundred, two ten, two twenty, two thirty… Kind of felt like the wheels were gonna give out, but the motor was still running smooth and steady, and the engine was roaring like some kind of unleashed beast, so the wheels didn't mean shit right now. Two sixty, two seventy… Two seventy five… Two eighty… Didn't seem like it was going to go too much faster than that. I loved the speed. I loved the feeling of the wind hurtling your hair against the back of your neck. I loved the adrenaline pumping through your veins that made you forget everything in the world that could possibly be wrong, and just smile and laugh like a lunatic. I felt alive again, which was saying something, as only half an hour ago, I felt like there'd be no life in me for the rest of my screwed up little existence. I guess when you were going as fast as I was, it was hard to actually pay too much attention to the road. I had little time to react as I saw the row of lights up ahead, and just before it hit the wall, I managed to launch myself off of my bike. Not my brightest idea, as I found myself now free-falling off the edge of the freeway. Fuck me, I was going to die. After all of this talk about feeling alive, I was going to die. Everything seemed to slow down a little, even as I hurtled towards the ground. I could see my parents, I could see my dog when he was a puppy, my childhood friends, high school, SOLDIER Training, Sephiroth… Cloud… Sephiroth _and_ Cloud… My chest tightened, and my mouth opened in a soundless cry. You know what? Maybe dying wouldn't be so bad after all…

--

I woke up in a hell of a lot of pain. I couldn't move, but whatever I'd landed on was soft enough to cushion me as I tried to roll over.

"Shit!" I hissed, my whole body burning, before a gentle hand held me back down.

"What the heck is _wrong_ with you? You scared me half to death!" A familiar voice snapped, before becoming decidedly softer, "…It's okay Zack, you're going to be alright if you don't move too much."

I lay still, and tried to open my swollen eyes wide enough to see her face. I don't know how, but whenever I was in trouble, she somehow just happened to be there.

"You got great timing doll. It's almost like you always know when I'm about to do something stupid and show up in time to pick up the pieces for me," I grimaced, realising my lip was split when I tried to smile. I could see her now, her hair falling over her shoulders as she offered a small smile and brushed a stray hair away from my eyes.

"What happened, Zack?" She asked softly, a sigh evident in her words, "You must have fallen off the freeway. I got a call off the General when they found your bike pretty much compacted into the blockade up th-"

"There wasn't one there yesterday," I jumped in, somehow believing that was a good enough defence. She frowned at this, and shook her head.

"How fast were you going?"

"Last I remember, about two eighty."

A typical male pride within me gave a cocky grin at this, but it quickly disappeared when she slapped my chest.

"Zack!" She gasped, "Why would you _do_ that?!"

I slowly sat up, with her aide, and felt my head dizzying already. A nice healthy mix of injuries and too much mental trauma for one day had made a rather nice migraine appear seemingly out of nowhere. Swell.

"I needed to get out of Midgar for awhile. I needed some kind of escape…" I explained, looking around and realising I was in her church. I looked up at the ceiling, and found a gaping hole there. Seemingly, I'd come through the ceiling.

"Fuck- Ah… I mean, far out…" I whistled low, as she scowled at my curse.

"You fell through the ceiling, so this time I guess _you_ came to _me_," she smiled a little in spite of herself, and I raised a hand to my head. I had a killer bump on my forehead, and her smile wobbled a bit.

"You alright, doll?" I asked cautiously, and she flung her arms around me, sobbing into my shoulder.

"Look at you!" she cried, "What were you _thinking_?!"

Aerith was my best friend. She had something for me, and I think somewhere along the line, I had something back. Then I'd come to realise which team I'd batted for, and she'd been nothing but a Gaia sent angel. Don't get me wrong… Sephiroth meant just as much to me as she did, but there's moments when you have some stuff to get off your chest that you just can't talk about with guys. This was one of those.

"I think I'm in love with Sephiroth," I murmured, and she half laughed, half coughed into my shoulder, before pulling back to look me in the eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked, and she smiled.

"I'm so proud of you for finally realising that. Maybe even a little relieved."

Hold the phone.

"What do you mean?" I pressed, and she laughed a little again, wiping residual tears from her eyes.

"Oh honey, you've been in love with him for over a year. Neither of you could see it," she sighed, "Was that what all this was about? You wanted to pretend that you didn't, by almost killing yourself?"

I shook my head, and she got comfortable, resting on her knees, as she placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Zack?"

"I think I'm also in love with Cloud."

"The little blonde?"

I gave a nod, and she offered a concerned frown.

"It's common to love more than one person at once, Zack. It's difficult, but I think that you'll be able to manage it," she smiled softly, "Then, knowing how absolutely charming you are, you can pick who you like in the long run and they'll fall head over heels for you."

Well, this is a little harder to explain than I thought it would be. The easiest thing in the world would be to just say it and get it over with. Unfortunately, that wasn't working for me right now. She could see in my face that she'd come in a little too early, but she pushed no further and instead waited for me to say something.

I let out a soft sigh, and she shook her head.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to Zack, but I can see it's really getting you down and you're going to want some advice," she said softly, "So you may as well just get it out of the way now."

"Gaia help me, Aerith…" I murmured, burying my face into her shoulder and letting out a soft sigh. She rubbed a hand in circles across my back and placed a kiss against my temple, before I managed to blurt it out in a rush of air.

"They like each other, babe, not me…" I murmured, "Not me…"

"Oh Zack," she whispered, "It's not fair is it?"

I shook my head, and she pulled back from me to meet my eyes.

"But tell me this," she paused, making sure she had my attention, "You love them both?"

I nodded.

"They both mean the world to you?"

Yep.

"And you love having them both around?"

Sure do.

"Then what are you doing here? They're probably worried sick about you, have little no idea where you are, and just want their friend back," she smiled, "You're a tough guy Zack. It's gonna be rough, there's no lying there, but don't lose them because of a little sulking. Try and be happy for them, and just enjoy having them around."

"You think that could work?" I asked, and she turned her gaze away slightly, her smile still soft as she spoke.

"It will, because it does with me."

Ah Gaia, she's gorgeous. It kills me that I'm not for her, when she does so much for me, but what can I do?

Then, it all made sense.

As usual, she was right.

I kissed her cheek and pulled her into a hug, before thanking her a million times over. She rolled her eyes and basically pushed me out the door, saying I was being ridiculous, and wasting time sitting around chatting when I should be reporting back to headquarters and basically letting them know I'm not dead. I gave a nod and headed out the door, glad that the mako had already done a majority of the healing work. Any more time in the labs then necessary, and I think I'd have been better off dying from the fall. I headed further into the slums, and gave her a final smile over my shoulder as she waved. I knew then, that when push came to shove, there'd never be anyone quite like her.

--

Tseng could be a dick sometimes. I make _one_ stupid mistake, and I'm standing before his desk whilst he death-glares me from his swivel chair and takes notes on his pad.

"Fatigue?" He asks simply, and I shrug. He doesn't seem to buy it, and I don't blame him. He's a Turk after all, and he's trained to pick out much bigger lies than the one I was telling him now. I felt a little dumb as he kept his eyes on me, an eyebrow raised critically as he continues to write.

"Speed's a factor too, but you already know that, hey?" I grinned charmingly, and he didn't budge in the slightest. Considering the fact that I'd caused quite a disturbance, the Turks had been sent in after my little accident to clean up the mess, and whilst they were doing so, left Tseng short a few men during a critical point in a mission involving drug traffickers. Thankfully no one was hurt, but he was pissed and he wanted answers.

"We've known each other long enough now, Zachary, that I might consider you somewhat of a friend," Tseng said slowly, "And I am aware, as somewhat of your friend, that you are not the kind of person who lies too often. It brings me to wonder what it is that you could possibly be trying to keep from me."

I shook my head, as the Commander rubbed his temples in a slow and deliberate motion, seemingly trying to will some sort of annoyance away.

"It's… it's really nothing," I smiled, "I was just stupid, made a few stupid moves in too short of a time, and I'm well aware that people got fucked over because of it. I'm genuinely seriously sorry, cause I can tell you're pretty damn pissed, and I'm willing to take whatever punishment you want to throw my way."

He held my gaze, seemingly admitting defeat, even as he showed concern.

"Just pay for the damage done to the railings from your salary and we'll call it even," He muttered, and I gave a nod, before turning to leave.

"And Zack?" he called as I reached the door, "Perhaps you should talk to someone about whatever's bothering you?"

I gave a wide grin and saluted as he waved me out the door, before I walked smack bang into Sephiroth's chest. Apparently, he'd been waiting for me.

"Zachary…" He said softly, his eyes trailing along my ragged and bloodied appearance with furrowed brows. I cleared my throat a little and straightened my back. Fuck him. Why did he have to look so caring and concerned? It wasn't exactly like I was the only person he had anymore.

"Yes Sir?"

He frowned at the formality, before gesturing for me to follow him. I almost didn't my stubborn head insisting that I stay put and let someone else be his lap dog. Ass hole. He'd toyed with me since the moment he knew I was attracted to him, and then thrown me out for a younger model. _My_ younger model. But then my pain in the ass heart kicked in, and I followed after him like a lost puppy with its tail between it- Damn, he's even got me on the dog metaphors…

"What you did today was reckless and entirely not in character for you," He said as we walked down the halls, his eyes not meeting mine. I chose to not reply, and I could swear I heard him sigh. We then reached his office, and he opened his door for me to enter first. I did so, and almost immediately had a figure pressed against me, clutching the back of my shirt with desperation.

"Cloud?" I said quietly, as relieved blue eyes emerged from the sea of blonde.

"Gaia Zack, you scared the _shit_ out of me!" The blonde snapped, before pulling back and punching me square in the chest. He then flung his arms back around me and buried his face in my neck. I felt a wave of guilt sweep over me then, as I felt a slight dampness where his eyes were.

"I thought you'd died…" the blonde spluttered, his hands clenching into fists against my back. I pulled him a little closer to me and rest my chin on top of his head. _It's not my fault, it's you guys. It's because of what you both did to me. It's because nothing ever seems to be going right for me anymore. _There were about five hundred other excuses on top of those that I was willing to throw out there, but I didn't.

"I'm sorry…" I murmured, and Cloud pulled away at me, rubbing at his eyes in an attempt to hide his emotion.

His eyes were just about on fire as he looked at me, his brows creased as he pushed me away slightly.

"I don't even know what I'm meant to be thinking right now! Are you _insane_?!" He snapped, and Sephiroth did nothing, standing to the side of us, as Cloud continued to spew out his string of annoyances. He hit me again, this time striking a wound, and I cringed slightly. He saw this and gave a deflated sigh, falling back onto the sofa behind him.

"I'm glad you're okay…" He muttered, his eyes falling closed as he did so, "Don't pull that shit on us again."

It felt weird hearing him say that. 'Us', like he and Sephiroth were part of some special kind of team. I was over-thinking everything, I knew, but I didn't really care anymore. Maybe Aerith was right though. It had made me a little sick just to see how distraught Cloud had been. Maybe they needed me more than I was willing to let myself believe. I was being sulky and selfish, yeah? I turned to Sephiroth and gave a small smile. He offered the same, but hesitant, as if he knew there was something unspoken in the gesture.

"Well!" I clapped, grinning widely, "I best be off to the labs or something so they can dose me up with mako and patch me up with whatever else."

I gave a cheerful wink to Sephiroth before making to leave.

"Zachary."

His voice was firm and demanded attention. I turned back around, and his serious expression said that I wouldn't be leaving any time soon.

"Sit down," He said firmly, and I instinctively pulled out the chair and did as he asked.

"Cloud?" The General called over to the couch, before a blonde head popped over the back of it.

"Yes sir?"

"Would you give Lieutenant Fair and I some privacy please?" Sephiroth asked, polite as always. Cloud nodded, picking up whatever belongings he'd brought there, and slipping out the door with a small smile in my direction. Gaia, he was gorgeous.

"Zack…" He said softly, and my chest seized a little. He was too soft, too caring, and I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes square on.

"Ya?" I grinned, staring absent-mindedly out the window, in the hopes that he wouldn't ask any more of me.

"Look at me."

And there it was. I hated those three words, I'd decided. If you thought about it, how often did people say that unless they wanted to give you a lecture, or to say something _really_ serious, or to make sure that you were really focused on them? Never. Am I right? Yeah. I mean, those situations really only ever brought a negative conclusion, and to be honest, I didn't really want any more of those today.

"Zachary…"

There was that tone again. The one that pretty much warned 'do as I say or there will be severe ass kicking commencing shortly'. I turned my gaze to his, and fuck him, I was stuck there. He watched me for a long time, and I watched him back, holding my grin as firmly as I was holding my gaze.

"You… mean a lot to me," He said quietly, and my grin faltered slightly.

"When the Turks had informed us that they'd found your motorcycle at the scene of an accident, I'd immediately tried to contact you to no avail," He continued, "And I have no shame in admitting that for some time… I was scared…"

"Scared?" I attempted a small laugh, "Firstly, you're not scared of anything. Secondly, I'm just about invincible."

"Zack…" He sighed in frustration, and I offered an apologetic smile.

"Look, thanks for the concern and all, but I'm fine. Really," I nodded, standing and clapping his shoulder with my hand, "But to avoid bleeding to death on your fancy shag pile, I'm going to the hospital."

He grabbed my hand then, and awkwardly averted his gaze when my eyes met his. Maybe he'd felt that little flush that I had the moment we'd had skin to skin contact… Not likely.

"Sit down Zachary, please," He said a little more firmly, and I did as I was told. He remained standing and let go of my hand, which was a little disappointing to say the least.

"What happened with Cloud and I…" He began, and I immediately turned my eyes from his. Didn't want to hear it.

"Zachary!" He roared, slamming his hands palms down on his desk, "For the love of all that is holy, would you listen to me for Gaia's sake?!"

My eyes reluctantly moved to meet his, and he raised a hand to his temple, rubbing it much like Tseng had no less than an hour ago.

"I don't really want to, just at the moment," I said quietly, and he frowned, sitting back in his chair in defeat. I stood up, and quietly headed for the door, before opening it.

"Please don't make me choose…" Was the last quiet plea he uttered before the door closed behind me.

--

"You do weights, right?"

"Sometimes."

"Are you big on swimming?"

"Not overly… Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Not overly. You know, swimming can exercise just about every muscle in your body in the one session. Maybe you should consider it?"

"Is this about getting me in a pair of swim trunks at all?" I asked, cocking a brow, and he grinned cheekily.

"Maybe just a little," the ebony hair male shrugged casually, "Just seeing the boundaries I can push here, Sir."

"Well, Elliot… It was Elliot right?" I asked, as he gave an eager nod, "You're _kinda_ pushing boundaries a touch too far."

"You're right, Gaia. I know it, but doesn't stop a guy from trying," He grinned again, and I had to admit, he was quite charming. He'd been watching me train for about fifteen minutes now, and he'd barely taken time out from talking to breathe. I'd come here as a way to recover from all the lab treatments. I was healed, that was for sure, but I was too full of energy and I needed to burn some of it off. Elliot had appeared out of nowhere and casually sat in the observation area and started up a conversation. At first, I was wondering how Cloud could put up with him, and then I started looking for reasons. Turns out he wasn't that bad of a guy, he just… as he said so himself… pushed his boundaries a little too far.

"I remember when I first met Cloud, he mentioned you saying that you saw me and Sephiroth as both being heroes…" I remarked, and he nodded.

"I'm not much of a kiss-ass Sir, believe me. Any shit I say is either a, to get into someone's pants, or b, truthful."

"So were you trying to get into my pants, or being truthful?" I asked, and he winked.

"A bit of column a, and a bit of column b."

"You're not shy at all, are you?" I held back a laugh as he reclined on the viewing chairs.

"Can be. Depends who I'm with and what my objectives are. Lucky you, Lieutenant," He grinned, "You make me comfortable enough to flirt like a hormonal schoolgirl."

"I bet you flirt with all the hot guys like myself," I grinned, and he blushed slightly. That was new.

"Not really, no. You could ask Cloud if you like. He calls me all sorts of names under the sun, but the kid still sticks up for me when people throw the term 'man-whore' around," Elliot paused, a soft smile playing along his lips, "He's good that way."

"You flirt with Cloud much?" I asked, a darker part of my mind hoping that he'd say something I didn't wanna hear so I'd have an excuse to kick the shit out of someone. He shook his head.

"I'm a little playful I guess, but Cloud's off limits. I don't go for closets," He laughed a little darkly.

"Closets?"

"Oh I know how queer Cloud is. I hear him murmuring certain names in his sleep which are far from female. I see the way he blushes around eye candy like you. He just doesn't want to tell me because I think a part of him knows how I feel."

"How you feel?" I asked, stopping mid squat. Elliot let out a deflated sigh and sat up straight, holding my gaze directly.

"Let me ask you a question here, stud," He said in all seriousness, "Do you have any idea what it's like to be caught up in someone real bad, I mean _real_ bad, and watch them going off into the world with someone _else_ in their thoughts? Without them even realising just how bad you want them with you instead?"

"Can't say I do," I lied, and he let out another bitter laugh.

"Well I do, and it sucks more ass than me," He shrugged, returning to his casual stretch across the chairs, "So I let little Cloudy-cakes get away with it. If he wants to think I'm that naïve, then I'll let him. It just bites you in the ass when you start to get a thing for the same person that your sweetheart does."

Gaia, he was like a slightly younger version of me.

"How do you deal with it?" I asked casually, and he winked. He sat forward slightly, smirking slowly.

"You walk into the training halls, sit in the observation area, and strike up a conversation. You scope the guy out; you make friends, and pray to Gaia you can get cozy with the both of them…"

With that, he stood and tipped an imaginary hat in my direction.

"Catch ya later, Lieutenant. Remember, swimming," he grinned cheekily over his shoulder, "It'll do wonders for the both of us."

Well I'll be damned… That cheeky son of a bitch...

He was kinda growing on me.

--

You could always kind of tell when something was bothering Aerith. She never said it, but everything about her kind of… dulled… I know, it sounds pretty messed up and probably makes little to no sense to anyone but me, but I'll try and explain anyway. The thing is, she was gorgeous. Everything about her kind of lit up. She had a glow to her that was special, like she had a higher purpose in life than half of the people on this planet. Basically, she turned heads not just because of her beauty, but because of her presence. Everyone knew where she was, because their eyes had followed her there. On the days when stuff was getting her down, you could easily lose her in a crowd. She became just another dull citizen walking the slum streets. This was one of those days, as she absent mindedly prodded some fish on her plate and gestured at Ricardo that she'd like a little more water. She offered the same smile, expression wise, but there was something missing.

"You not hungry today, doll?" I asked, as she turned her gaze to me, seemingly startled to find me sitting across from her, even though I'd been here for forty minutes.

"I'm just tired, I think," she smiled softly, still prodding her fish.

She was a little more forgiving of me today then she was yesterday, when I'd fallen through the roof of her church and scared the fear of Odin into her, but that might have been due to the fact that she wasn't on this planet right now.

"I don't think so," I said, and she turned her gaze away slightly, resting her chin on a propped up hand.

"It's stupid…" She laughed lightly, the noise vacant of any mirth. She was like a shell of her self right now, and it was a little unsettling to say the least.

"So am I, so I should understand it better than anyone, huh?" I grinned, and she laughed, swatting at my arm.

"Dumb ass… Okay, okay," She resigned, "Look, it's just that I keep having these weird dreams that kinda stay in my mind. You know, some of those special dreams that kind of end up coming true. That's all. It's really no big deal."

"Okay."

I twirled my fork into my spaghetti and shoveled it into my mouth. Aerith was a little strange, I think everyone who knew her would agree to that, but she'd had these dreams before and they were damn near always spot on. I chewed idly whilst waiting for her to continue. She always did. I think it was a female thing, you know 'Oh, don't worry about it!', a playful arm swat, an eyelash bat, and then there's a silence. After the girl deems the silence appropriately long enough, she cracks and you get whatever you wanted to hear anyway. This one extended for awhile, and I had the opportunity to devour four other forkfuls before she let out a frustrated sigh.

"Okay! Gaia, you're so pushy!"

Oh yeah, _then_ they accuse you of being pushy, even though you sat there like a stunned mullet for half an era.

"They were really strange, but they involved you," she rushed, lowering her voice significantly, "And Sephiroth and Cloud too…"

"Oh?" I said simply, taking a leaf from Tseng's book and waiting for her to spill even further.

"They were of you, Sephiroth and Cloud…" She repeated, and I cocked a brow.

"I got that part of the transmission, Aerith. I think you're a little delirious," I teased, and she rolled her eyes.

"Males!" She snapped, as half of the restaurant turned their gazes briefly in our direction.

"Okay, okay," I grinned, "I'm sorry. What were they about?"

"You, Sephiroth and Cloud…" She paused, "_Together_."

"Together doing what?" I asked dumbly, dropping some past sauce on my pants. Shit, that was the third time this week. Pretty sure Elena was getting sick of me bribing her to do my washing.

"How could you miss a mouth like yours?" Aerith teased, and I cocked a brow, "I _meant_… that all three of you were _together_…"

I was midway through preparing another forkful of spaghetti when she said that. This time the entire fork missed my mouth, and fell all over my pants.

"_Together_?!" I hissed, as we drew a few more stares. Ricardo shuffled over with Aerith's water, and she gave him a warm smile as he did so.

"You're meals are free as always, Miss," He bowed slightly, his hat sliding slightly over his bald head, as a cheesy grin crept over his lips.

"Oh thank you Ricardo!" She smiled as left.

"Oh _thank_ you Ricardo!" I mimed, and she hit me with her napkin, scowling deeply.

"Come on Aerith, you can't just stop mid story!" I protested, and she reluctantly continued.

"Well, somehow, the three of you were like… A couple…" She frowned, seemingly a little confused, "But there were three of you, so I guess you'd be a trio? I don't really know, I've never been in that kind of a situation be-"

"Aerith!"

"Okay! Gaia! Men!" She huffed, "And you were all really happy. The only issue you guys had was keeping it a secret. Do you think something like that is even possible? The _three_ of you?"

A spark of possibility flared through me, but it was quashed almost immediately.

"They'd have to both have feelings for me, doll. Doesn't look like that's the case," I shrugged, sulkily picking up some spaghetti off my plate and shoveling it down my throat. She let out a soft sigh and placed a hand on mine from across the table.

"Well, it's nice to think about, I guess… For you…" She smiled softly, before returning to dejectedly prodding her fish.

For some reason, I think those dreams bothered her in more ways than one.

--

**A/N:** Sulky Zack. Tsk, tsk, tsk.


	6. Chapter 6

Awwww, you guys make me feel loved. You make me think that I might actually have a bit of talent as a writer. Thanks for that, it flatters me and makes me smile :)

For Hitokimi and The Well Loved Stray, for both hassling me endlessly =P

**Warnings: Yaoi, Coarse language. I do not own or make any profit from FFVII stories or anything affiliated with them. This work is purely fan based and shall continue to be so.**

_Association - Chapter Three_

_General Stuffy-Pants' point of view_

_Sephiroth had never had any trouble getting what he wanted. People remained happy with him out of fear, and in Zack's case, out of respect and friendship. Now, with the Lieutenant so obviously torn up about the events that had occurred between Cloud and himself, Sephiroth was coming to realise that sometimes getting what you wanted wasn't always easy, and even the most joyous of people could fabricate smiles._

_--_

It wasn't that I was ignorant to Fair's issues at the moment. I was well aware of when he was hiding things from me, and with wearing his heart on his sleeve, far too often you could see when he was having an inner conflict that was chewing him apart. The stunt he'd pulled with the motorcycle had been idiotic, and for three days now, I'd been trying to determine what it was exactly that would push him towards such reckless behaviour. Had he been truthful when he said he'd been hurt by my keeping secrets from him? I highly doubted so.

"General Sephiroth?" I vaguely heard a voice from across the table. All eyes in the room were now on me, and I saw my mistake in letting my concentration stray for too long.

I heard the Commander let out a soft sigh from my left.

"If you trust me enough, you would answer yes," Tseng murmured, and I nodded. I continued to meet Reeve's gaze across the table and nodded.

"Yes," I said simply, and the entire table seemed satisfied with that decision. There were times when I despised Tseng. This was not one of them. The meeting continued with a discussion from Scarlett and Heidegger, and Tseng leant a little closer to me.

"It's not like you to be this pre-occupied, General," He murmured, and I offered no explanation.

"What did I agree to?" I asked evasively, and he smirked slightly.

"Added funds allocated to SOLDIER third class training," He murmured, and I nodded in approval. There was a moment then where Scarlett had apparently made a joke, and the Commander and I were the only two not feigning amusement. Nobody seemed to question this, as the meeting continued. They rarely questioned either of us, on further thought…

"Also, General, I've assigned a Turk to watch over your Lieutenant," Tseng said calmly, as I whipped my eyes to meet his.

"What?" I hissed through my teeth, a calculated smirk creeping along his lips.

"Temper, Temper…"

"There is absolutely no need for you to-"

"To say the very least General, I'm sure you'd agree that he has been somewhat distracted of late," the commander interjected softly, ensuring not to draw un-necessary attention. There was no argument there, as I'm sure he realised, before he continued.

"It's only for a few days, simply to ensure that he is fit to be working. You understand that this is a standard procedure," Tseng said softly, almost warningly, "I expect your full participation, as always."

There was a silence between the two of us for a few moments then, before I let out a barely audible sigh.

"So be it, on one condition," I said in all seriousness. He quirked a brow and waited, showing he was listening.

"No wires or audio bugs. You understand that he is privy to confidential information, and I expect none of this information to abruptly come into possession of the Turks."

He thought on this for a few moments, before nodding his head in agreement.

"Understandable," He said simply, before seemingly returning his attention to the meeting. My thoughts, however, strayed to Zack.

He was no fool. Despite how eager or experienced the Turk assigned to him was, Zack was too well trained to not realise when he was being followed. This was information I would not share with Tseng for obvious reasons, but it was my beliefs that Zack would be sure to be nothing short of angelic for the next few days. Gaia Zack, for your behaviour to become of interest to the Turks… The meeting drew to an end at that moment, as everyone stood whilst Shinra left the room, Rufus never too far behind. If he were to turn out anything like his father, Shinra may very well become under siege from its own employees. As they left through the door, I saw two Turks flanking them. A lean Turk with flaming red hair and bright cyan eyes offered an urgent gesture with his eyes towards Tseng, and the Commander politely excused himself from my company.

"I'll be sure to keep to my words, General," He reassured as he left, "So long as you keep to yours."

"We're both honorable men, Commander," I replied curtly, "I'm sure we can rest confidence within each other."

He nodded, before meeting with the red head and speaking in hushed tones as they disappeared into the halls. It was then that I felt an all too familiar hand on my shoulder, and smelt the distinct fragrance of mako and antiseptic creeping into my nostrils.

"Interesting behaviour of late, General," Hojo said quietly into my ear, a smirk lacing his every word, "Perhaps we should look further into this?"

I calmly raised a hand and removed his from my shoulder. His very proximity made me feel as if some foreign power within me was stirring, willing to draw the line on his life.

"That won't be necessary, _professor_…" I murmured, and he offered me a smile almost as oily as his hair as we both headed for the door.

"Oh no General, I insist. You remember your agreement with President Shinra, do you not?" He asked, and I swallowed down the string of cuss words that were brimming on my lips.

"Should there be any signs of distraction that may possibly affect your contributions to this company," He chided, "You're been instructed to undergo tests, have you not?"

"Zoning out at an office meeting is hardly enough of a distraction to raise alarm," I snapped, and he shook his head slowly.

"Oh, but it is. You see, you're well aware of how much attention you garner, General. People have been noticing both you and Lieutenant Fair have been a little… off colour… since his little… incident…" He smirked slightly, and I felt my fists clench involuntarily by my side. He'd get what was coming to him some day, and it would be by my own hands.

"Very well," I said curtly, "I'll meet you at your office within the hour."

He seemed ready to say something further, but apparently decided against it, giving a simple nod before heading out the door.

I walked the halls and thought over my distraction. Perhaps it was a cause of concern for those around me. It was not often that something bothered me as much as the current situation. Cloud Strife, 'grunt of the year' this year, and undoubtedly one of the most fascinating creatures I'd come across. Had Zack not interrupted that moment the other day, I could only imagine all the ways I'd have ravaged him, starting with those sweet little lips perched so delicately upon his face. He was delectable in every way imaginable, but as much as his looks ensnared me, something about his fun-loving and caring personality was even more alluring. In that way, he was so very much alike to Zac-

This was ridiculous.

It had gotten to a point now, that even simple indulgences in terms of my attractions to Cloud, could not be considered without my thoughts straying to Zack. I suppose the rational thing to do would be to admit that I had feelings for both Cloud _and_ Zack. Rationality was a necessity, but something I sometimes found difficulty in. This would prove to be no exception. So far, things had not progressed any further than heated kisses with Cloud. He'd come to my office not long after Zack had left the other morning, and despite my Lieutenant's words still ringing fresh in my ears, I'd had the lithe little blonde backed against my desk within minutes. Gaia knows how long we'd been locked together there, before the call had come in of Zack's accident. Needless to say, the moment had been killed. It was as if Gaia was conspiring against the blonde and I, insisting that if things should get too heated, she would remind us of the presence that wasn't there. I could recall the blonde's eyes staring up at me as Tseng had given the news down the telephone line. I was naïve to believe that I may be the only one who held Cloud's attentions, and seeing the same panicked heart ache I was feeling mirrored in his eyes was only further confirmation. Cloud had stayed in my office as I'd gone to see Tseng. I'd come back to him and we'd waited together, Cloud's face resting against my shoulder as silent sobs had racked his body. I'd felt for the blonde more in that moment than I'd ever felt for anything in my entire life, and I couldn't help but feel a stab of jealousy also. Not only was he able to express his pain far more adequately than I could, he was expressing it for someone other than myself. He was expressing it for _my_ Lieutenant.

--

I stared at the tiles across the ceiling, falling into the familiar pattern of counting the tiny holes that separated one from the other by the corners, whilst holding my lips into a thin line of feigned nonchalance.

"Choosing to ignore me once again, I see," He remarked lightly, as his face appeared above mine. He smirked as he locked me in, the cold metal bars pressing down across my bare chest as he pushed his glasses to rest further up the bridge of his nose.

"Are you going to be willing to talk at all today, or am I to reluctantly allow the President to remove you from active duty, hmm?" he asked smugly, staring down his nose to meet my eyes. I flicked my gaze to his and made no effort to hide my dislike.

"I fail to see the necessity in these tests, considering your concern was over my state of mind," I replied coldly, and he laughed in his throat. It was much alike to that of a hyena stealing carcasses on the prairie under the cover of night fall. It was cold, conniving, and so self-assured of its success. As for what he'd felt that he'd succeeded at, I'd never and would never take the time from my day to care.

"Another agreement, you may remember, is that anytime you come to the labs, we are permitted to run whichever tests we see as being valuable at the time," He explained, drawing a sample of blood from my arm, "And considering that you have been away from active duty due to a lack of any war, now is the first opportune moment we've had to put you through your paces."

I turned my eyes back to the ceiling and resumed my counting, as he prepared the mako shots and Gaia knows what else the slimy little bastard pumps into me.

I stared at the roof through most of his tests which allowed me to remain lying down, whilst he continued to pry for a response from me. By now, I had come to realise that most of the time, these routine tests were nothing more than an opportunity for him to do just that. Hojo had been a part of my life for far longer than I'd have liked, and yet in an odd way, I considered him a part of my family. He was a figure that was forever present and whether the presence was good or not, it was familiar. There was nobody else alive who would have the balls to test my limits like he had, and loathe as I was to admit it, his persistent torment during my childhood had been a prime factor in making me the SOLDIER that I was today.

"Lieutenant Fair is certainly an interesting individual," he remarked off-handedly as he withdrew a syringe from my arm. Unwillingly, my eyes snapped to him and narrowed slightly.

"We have a defensive streak there, don't we?" He asked, his voice a little higher than usual, as he raised his brows, "Why would that be, I wonder?"

"Lieutenant Fair is a first class SOLDIER, professor," I said curtly, "I find it necessary to hold caution when another individual speaks of them in an ill manner."

"Ill manner? Sephiroth my boy, you have little need to make such accusations," He laughed. I often wondered how an individual could exhume nothing but fake emotions. A laugh should be genuine, and a smile heartfelt, if they were to be shared at all. Individuals such as Hojo were not worthy of projecting such hollow emotion.

"Tell me," He paused, choosing to unclasp my restraints and raise the table, "Do you believe that an individual such as yourself would honestly be capable of drawing love from someone like him?"

I shot another cold stare, but said nothing as I stretched my arms and rolled my neck, ensuring to get all the cricks out.

"Or even someone as innocent and doll-like as that little blonde fellow you've been spending your time with," He continued, pushing further boundaries, "Do you think even a heart that open to those around him could fathom affection… _true_ affection… for you?"

My arm shot out of its own accord and caught him by the collar of his shirt, slamming him against the wall, old flakes of paint and plaster falling from the impact. He let out a gasp, seemingly winded, even as his lips curled into a satisfied smirk. He spluttered slightly, before snorting, as I dropped him to the floor. As he stood, he dusted himself off and gave me a nod.

"I think you're quite alright to leave now, General," He smirked, "I've gotten everything I needed. It's quite apparent what your distraction… pardon me, _who_ your _distractions_ are…"

I turned on my heel and left the lab as quick as my legs would take me. I loathed him, and he knew that all too well.

--

I'd hardly stepped into the training hall, before Cloud was heading toward me with a concerned frown tracing his lips. The other SOLDIERs in training stopped what they were doing, and saluted. When Cloud had reached me, he stopped before me and offered a quick salute before speaking.

"If you don't mind me saying, sir, you look like shit…" He murmured, and I offered a fleeting smirk, before reminding myself of where I presently was. The others had no need to become aware of my affections towards Cloud. Any sign of physical emotion from me had become a rarity in their eyes, and so I had little grounds to be able to show them.

"How flattering," I replied, allowing a little amusement to show through my words as he blushed and smiled slightly. Gaia, that smile had enough potency to wipe whatever bullshit Hojo had implanted in my mind. I walked towards Cloud's instructor, a retired First Class SOLDIER by the name of Korum, and he offered a polite nod in my direction. Firsts weren't required to salute, but it was seen as favourable to do so in the presence of lower classes or cadets. Korum, however, was in a league of his own.

"General, a pleasure to see you," He said gruffly, twisting a toothpick he held in his mouth with the tips of his fingers.

"Korum, the pleasure is mine," I replied politely, and he clapped me on the back, much to the stunned surprise of his group.

"Ah you old stuff-ass!" He laughed, and I held back the urge to smile, "What can I do you for?"

Korum had been in Shinra for as long as just about anyone could remember. He'd been a strong figure in the military, primarily because of his courage and vast amounts of usually untapped talent. To say the least, he often caught people by surprise and left them beyond impressed when they'd fought alongside him. He'd often mentored rising stars within Shinra, and I had been one of those. When I'd passed him in rank, he'd been far beyond proud, and showed no signs of jealousy or bitterness. He'd cheered enthusiastically when I'd received the title of General, and I'd offered a small smile to him standing in the back of the ceremonial hall, forever twisting that toothpick between his lips. He was quite possibly the closest thing to a father figure I'd had. Hojo had laughed when I'd told him that.

"_Him? A father figure to __**you**__? Ha!" _The professor had snorted, _"Sephiroth, you are full of unexpected stupidity."_

Needless to say, it had only made me admire Korum more and respect Hojo less. Not that the bastard had very much respect to lose from me…

"I'd like to borrow Strife for a little bit if I may," I said flatly, even though I allowed my eyes to offer a small sign of modest adoration for the man before me. He didn't miss it, if the cheesy grin on his lips was any indication.

"Can do General," He winked, "Perhaps the boy can help you pull the stick from your ass."

With that he laughed heartily, once again stunning his group. I turned to face them, and they hurriedly returned to their training sessions. Cloud stood rigid by Korum's side, ensuring that he held the signs of utmost respect for me that were expected.

"Well, you heard the General," Korum barked, as the blonde startled, "Move yer scrawny ass, Strife!"

Cloud nodded hurriedly and scampered to my side as I nodded politely at the drill instructor and headed for the observation room.

"How come he's so nice to _you_?" Cloud muttered enviously, and I bit back a smirk.

"I've earned it," I replied simply, and he scowled.

"Earned it my lily white ass. Just because you're the General, he kisses up your ass," Cloud scowled, and I let a small laugh out.

"As much as the discussion of your… 'lily white ass' doesn't bother me," I smirked teasingly, as his cheeks flared, "I am bothered by your disrespect for the man. Respect is a two way street, Cloud. Should you choose to start seeing him in a different light, then perhaps he would see you differently also."

When we'd entered the observation room, he'd turned abruptly and wrapped his arms around my torso, pressing his heated cheek against my chest.

"Are you quite alright, Cloud?" I asked, not bothering to hold back the amusement in my tone.

"Sorry," He murmured, "I just…"

He faltered then, as if he were thinking over his words before he said them. More and more often lately, he seemed to do this, as if he believed he might let something slip that he wasn't willing to.

"I really kinda missed you and training was just so frickin boring today and Gaia you smell good…" He blurted, before muttering an embarrassed "…Shit…"

I let a low laugh rumble through my chest, and he laughed awkwardly too. He raised his face, cheeks positively burning, before pulling away from me and scratching the back of his head. I felt my eyes flaring a little as they settled on him, his mere proximity casting much the opposite effect of Hojo's. Rather than encouraging a darker part of me I had no interest in delving in to, Cloud seemed to soothe it. He held my gaze with a focused intensity, and he smiled a little, as if holding onto a personal joke. I quirked a brow, still smirking down at him and he snorted slightly. It was a simple sound, but entirely befitting of the awkward nature that Cloud possessed.

"It's nothing, it's just…" He hesitated, "The guys in my class were saying how if a first class flared up when looking at them, they think they'd shit their pants from the fear."

"I certainly hope that's not the case with you?" I teased, and he laughed.

"Nah, I'm all good. I guess we were all just under the impression that flaring up is only produced by anger."

I willed my eyes to dull, and he looked up at me curiously.

"How do you do that?" He asked, and I gave a soft smile.

"I have a little more control than most. Mako flare-ups can come from any sort of emotion, should they be strong enough," I explained, "And due to extensive training and… other things… I've come to be able to control my flare ups on demand."

"Can't all first class SOLDIERs do that?"

"Only in regards to anger. During my childhood, the head of the Turks at the time had decided that with my emotions, it was too risky for an enemy to determine how I was feeling," I elaborated, feeling a hollow ache through me on mention of my Turk mentor, "Rather than risking my giving of vital information should I be captured and interrogated, I was trained from a young age to resist it."

"So… you can pretty much become void of emotion?" Cloud asked, his brows creasing.

"Yes."

There was no simpler answer, but once again, the brash truth that I had been use to giving seemed to upset the blonde.

"But that's… I dunno," He worried his lower lip slightly, "Is it a handy skill to have?"

"At times," I admitted, my hands encircling the blonde's waist of their own free will, "At others, it leaves me a little intimidating, as some parts of the training had an odd effect over me."

"Odd effect?"

"At times, I can't shut it off," I said, mildly uncomfortable. Why was it that I had never shared this information with anyone before? With Cloud's bright blue eyes latched onto mine, rapt with attention, it seemed natural to give him every explanation he could ever ask for, before the need to ask ever even arose.

Cloud was thinking, and he seemed to be thinking hard, his brows creased slightly, his teeth nibbling his lower lip, and his fingers twiddling against each other as he pressed against my chest.

"So when everyone talks about those times where they say you're cold, and you're cruel, and that you have no heart," He whispered, seemingly uncomfortable about what he was saying, "It's not that you're not feeling anything, it's just that you can't show it…"

I nodded, and he was quiet for a moment, gently laying his head back against my chest. It was an odd feeling, a foreign one. A part of me wanted to make a witty remark, or a perverted gesture or action, just to cheapen this up a little. I wasn't one to ever feel fear, and I figured it had something to do with Hojo, but something about the thought of Cloud changing me to something that I'd been programmed specifically _not_ to be… It was a little frightening.

"I came here to talk about Lieutenant Fair," I interrupted, my face falling straight as he pulled back from my chest and scratched the back of his head. He turned and headed to the viewing glass and sat down on one of the chairs there.

"I'm… worried…" He murmured, frowning vacantly out the glass.

I know the feeling.

"Do you think… Do you think it might have something to do with… you and me?" He asked timidly, his cheeks flaring, "That is to say, not that I was assuming there _was _a you and me, just that maybe Zack had realised that there was _something_ going on, not that there's anything wrong with that either, but the thing is, it might have made him uncomfortable or-"

"Cloud, there is almost certainly a you and I," I smirked, and his mouth closed shut, his cheeks continuing to burn.

There was a small silence as I mulled things over in my head, which was probably best. Cloud and I both had things to consider now, and sometimes continued conversation would only strain the subject one was trying to avoid. In this case, Zack. He was… He meant more to me than perhaps I was willing to admit… But if I were to compare him to Cloud, I was not able to pick a favourite between the two. Each had such similar qualities, yet remained miles apart. When Zack got passionate about things, his eyes lit up with something beyond mako, and he took charge and made sure everyone listened to what he had to say. Cloud didn't have that amount of confidence just yet. When Zack was thinking, he'd poke his tongue out a little. When Cloud was, he'd furrow his brows, lower his head, avert his gaze, and worry his lip, effectively showing you that every thought he had mattered to him. Cloud liked reading fiction and poetry; Zack liked reading comics and SOLDIER biographies. Cloud liked dark chocolate because of the taste; Zack liked white chocolate because he thought it was easier to wash out if he got it on his pants. Both of them had smiles that were contagious, but Zack's were so natural due to their frequency. Cloud's were special because you had to earn them. Cloud was the type of person you could envision spending every night of your life with, whilst holding a different conversation each time. He loved to talk and to learn about the individuals around him, he was the… 'Cuddly'… type, and he was submissive in almost every aspect. Zack was the type of person you could envision spending every night of your life with, and have no idea where each minute would lead you. He was wild, spontaneous, and entirely unpredictable. But both took on the other traits at times as well. If I were to choose, it would be an impossible task.

"Cloud," I said softly, and he turned his eyes to me, "Every time we're spending time together, do you ever feel as if something's missing?"

His mouth parted slightly, his gaze falling from mine as his cheeks burned further.

"I…" He paused, seemingly carefully considering his words, as if he were about to spew them out in a blurted rush of air once again. He stopped entirely then, catching his breath and letting out a defeated sigh.

"I do," Was all he said, his face turning from mine, "Don't get me wrong, being around you was stupefying enough for me. To find out that you thought of me the same way I did about you was even better, but I feel …"

I said nothing, and he shook his head, more to himself than me, I think.

"What am I saying?" He laughed nervously, and I moved to his side, placing a hand on top of his head. I ran a hand through his hair, and he leant into the touch, before leaning further to rest against my stomach. I held his ear there and looked down at him as he let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes. So incredibly trusting of me, he was…

"This is so fucked up…" He murmured, before his eyes snapped open abruptly in apparent mortification, "Did I just say that out loud?"

I smirked down at him and he groaned slightly, not realising the effect it had over me. I leant towards him, eyes glittering as I met his square on. He made to speak but stopped, as I got closer, closing the distance between our lips. He seemingly got impatient however, pulling me towards him and pressing his tongue firmly against my mouth. Cloud Strife was forever full of surprises.

He eagerly thread fingers into my hair and pulled me closer to him, before I reminded him just who held the upper hand by placing my hands around his waist and hoisting him up to wrap his legs around me. I trapped him against the nearest wall, a habit of mine I was yet to shake, and he let out a surprised 'hmph', though he hardly stopped his ministrations. Today, my usual composure was slipping fast, and my fingers trailed from his waist to rest against his firm little ass. He seemed to notice my brash move almost immediately and gasped into my mouth, his eyes opening abruptly with a wicked surprise. I pulled back from him and smirked slightly, before pressing my lips against his neck in as sensual a manner I could muster. He clutched at my hair tighter, and regardless of my own feelings, his next statement stopped me where I stood.

"…Zack…"

I almost dropped him, as I felt him tense against me when he'd realised his mistake. Instead, I lowered him to his feet and willed my possessive jealousy fade away.

"…Sephiroth…" He whispered, wide eyed and seemingly on the verge of tears.

"It seems that there is someone you would rather be spending your time with," I said flatly, ensuring all emotion faded from my face. Truthfully, I'm not sure what he'd find there if I hadn't. A part of me had received a thrill hearing Zack's name on those lips, and another had felt consuming jealous rage at the fact that he'd not uttered mine…

"I didn't- Gaia, I don't know why- …Sephiroth?" He pressed softly, his hand reaching out for me. I pulled back however, raising a hand wearily to my forehead.

"You should leave, Cloud," I said quietly, pinching the bridge of my nose, ensuring not to open my eyes on the odd chance I may catch his gaze.

"But Sephiroth…"

"_Dismissed_, cadet," I said warningly, my eyes opening regardless of my mind's influence, as the stunned blue eyes met mine in hurt remorse. Gaia, nobody should ever have to witness that…

Cloud picked up his sword and headed for the door, seemingly determining that there was no talking to me now, blinking back tears as he passed me. Once again, Gaia had reminded the both of us of the void we were continuing to ignore. No matter how hard we'd both tried to push him away, Zack always had a way of worming himself back in, and I don't think anything would ever change that.

--

**A/N:** Short chapter, sorry. But hey, next chapter's gonna make up for it, so don't complain xD

Also, I may get called to work any day soon, so sadly, chapters might become sparse again. It all depends on whether I'll be travelling again. Fingers crossed I get to stay home.


	7. Chapter 7

Wow, honestly did not expect the rave reviews I got last chapter. Thanks so much! :)

**Warnings: Yaoi, Coarse language. I do not own or make any profit from FFVII stories or anything affiliated with them. This work is purely fan based and shall continue to be so… sadly. **

**Also, lame blonde jokes. If you are blonde and can't take blonde jokes… Well… LOL AT YOU. Seriously though, I love blondes, and I don't wanna offend you guys. Lovelovelove to you. –squeezes blonde people's cheeks-**

_'Grunt' Strife's point of View._

_Cloud didn't know what it was that drew Sephiroth to him to begin with, but he definitely what it was that had pushed him away. Looking for a way to get all the answers, and Sephiroth back, Cloud goes looking for advice… and finds Zack instead. _

_I'm getting worse at these summaries, I swear it ._._

--

Fortunately, when people left the General's presence with tears in their eyes, there was a general 'Don't ask questions' rule from the other cadets. It happened more often then not, and the General was as infamous for his silver tongue as he was for his silver hair. Elliot, however, had very little regard for such rules and waltzed over in the middle of a spar to fling an arm around my shoulder. Funny how you can hold back tears perfectly fine until someone does something affectionate, then it seems as if your body takes this as some kind of green light to turn into a blubbering, snot fuelled mess as you struggle for air between sobs.

"Heeyyy," Elliot cooed, "You're okay buddy. What's the matter?"

I shook my head, and Elliot gestured to Korum that he was taking me outside for a bit. The bastard gave a half assed glare in our direction, before twisting his toothpick and returning his attention to the others. Elliot shook my shoulders a little as we stepped outside and offered a soft smile.

"Did the mean old General yell at you?" Elliot mock-pouted and I found the gesture to be so… well, Elliot… that I had to laugh, despite the tears falling down my face. He shook me a little again, before placing a hand on top of my head like I was an arm rest.

"If it helps, I just spent the last fifteen minutes with Korum practically arse raping me," He remarked with a distinct scowl on his face, "Figuratively of course. Literally, and I may have enjoyed it a little."

With this, he wiggled his eyebrows, and I managed to smile again. He seemed almost proud of this achievement, as he led me over to sit on one of the nearby benches under a tree.

He stretched out so that his back was against the tree trunk, and he let out a soft sigh, turning to face me with a soft smile.

"I like making you laugh kid, but you've been disappearing so often lately that you haven't been giving me the chance to try," He shrugged slightly, resting his hands on top of his head, "You're not gonna forget about me anytime soon are you?"

Oh Gaia no. Elliot had been there from the very start. He'd been one of the only friends I'd ever had, and I wasn't going to let that go in a hurry. I could still remember when I first met him, a charming smile on his face as he stood straight and confident, sticking his hand out to shake mine.

"_The name's Elliot. Unofficial grunt of the year, and not all that bothered by it because I'm just that awesome. Also, I'm your room mate and I find your awed silence to be incredibly endearing. In fact, I think I find you adorable already,_" He'd smiled teasingly, _"I can tell we'll get along just fine. Welcome to Shinra, I'll be your flight attendant for the rest of your trip."_

At that, he'd tipped an imaginary cap and showed me around the entire compound, before asking me out on a date. He was gutsy, which I'd found entertaining at the least, but I'd politely explained that I was 'straight'. He shrugged and ruffled my hair, before grinning.

"_That's okay, seems you just took the position of cute best friend for me," _he winked, _"We'll work on filling the other positions as we go along."_

Come to think of it, maybe I _had_ been neglecting him a little more than was fair lately. It's just that with all the time I was spending with Zack and Seph-

I hung my head slightly and bit back another sudden onset of tears.

"Gaia Cloudy-cakes, you've really turned on the pipes today, huh?" Elliot frowned, pulling me against his shoulder and squeezing my own with his hands.

"You wanna tell Uncle Elliot all about it?" He asked, and I quirked a brow.

"…Uncle?"

"I could have _just_ as easily said 'Your sexy man slave Elliot', but figured if we were ever together," He paused dramatically, offering a sly grin, "I'd be wearing the pants."

I rolled my eyes, my cheeks flushing slightly, and he snorted.

"Nice to see I haven't lost my touch for embarrassing you," He teased, before turning serious, "Have you and your little General friend had a falling out?"

Gaia, what an understatement. I don't know _what_ had been running around my head when I said what I said. I guess that with all the talk of Zack, and then Sephiroth mentioning that there was something missing between he and I, I just kind of thought he meant Zack… Who am I kidding? I know that's what _I_ meant when I said I'd felt it too.

"You could say that…" I mumbled, and when I looked up, I caught a devilish little glint in Elliot's eyes before he quickly managed to mask it with cheerful innocence. What the stuffing was _that_?

"Well, I dunno what to say buddy, I don't really know the General. Maybe you could have a chat with someone else?" He asked, "Someone who might know the guy a little better?"

He had a point. I guess I could always go talk to Zack. It'd be a little awkward, and I've have to leave out what actually caused the issues, but it'd be nice to see him again.

"I guess I could go talk to Zack?" I shrugged, and he grinned almost from ear to ear.

"Great idea!" he winked, "And while you're there, don't forget to slide my name into the conversation a few times. I don't want _him_ forgetting me in a hurry either."

"I'm not gonna forget you any time soon, Elliot," I sighed, standing as he gave me a quick pat on the bum and insisted that if I wasn't so slow in moving it, he wouldn't have to do these things. I shook my head, feeling my cheeks burn, before heading for the SOLDIER offices.

Bloody Elliot…

--

I felt my stomach tighten a little as I walked into the hall and had several first and second class SOLDIERs watch me with every step I took. It was a little unsettling, cause I'm pretty sure any one of them could knock me flat on my ass with a half hearted punch. None of them mattered all that much though. I was only really focused on one, who was in the corner of the room engaged in a conversation with a masked SOLDIER. He was doing squats, and had his usual charming smile was spread across his lips. I wasn't gonna lie, it was really… nice… to see him smiling again. He turned in my direction as I got closer, and stopped mid squat. He straightened up and his expression softened briefly, before spreading into a wide grin.

"Hey kiddo!" He laughed, ruffling my hair, "I was just talking about you with Kunsel here."

He gestured at the other SOLDIER who looked out from underneath his mask and gave me a quick smile. Once the other SOLDIERs knew who I was here for, they returned to their business, but I could pretty much guarantee that a few would be eager to eavesdrop.

"Good things, I hope?" I smiled as innocently as I could, and Zack winked.

"Always. Anyway," He paused, offering a nod to Kunsel as he excused himself, "What's up?"

Where to start, eh? It'd be easy to do my usual word vomit and just blurt out everything under the sun until my stomach felt a little better, but I'd started to realise that it wasn't always the best idea, especially when you were trying to withhold certain parts.

"Put simply, or full details?" I asked, and he shook his head with a smile, putting an arm around my shoulder and leading me to the locker room. He swiped his keycard through the executive's door and opened it before heading for his locker, his arm never leaving my shoulders.

"You tell me whatever you want to tell me Spikey," He shrugged slightly, "I'll help you out as best as I can either way."

With that, he moved his arm from my shoulders and started taking off his training gear and throwing it on the nearby bench. I almost passed out. Half naked, sweating, masculine smelling Zack, right in front of me… Frickin teenage hormones. I couldn't decide whether I was upset or a little turned on.

"Sephiroth and I kind of had a big fight," I mumbled, and he stopped mid-reach for his uniform.

"A fight?" He prompted, and I let out a little sigh of defeat.

"Yeah. I don't think we're going to be hanging out so often any more, to say the least," I shrugged, scratching the back of my head awkwardly.

"Well shit," he frowned, his eyes swirling around with so many different emotions and thoughts that it was near impossible to pick any of them out, "do you think it's something that can be fixed?"

I thought on a moment and decided that no, it probably wasn't. I gave a shake of my head, and he reached out to place his hands on my shoulders, meeting my gaze head on. He frowned slightly, shifting his gaze for a moment, before returning to my eyes.

"I can't believe I'm saying this…" He murmured, letting out a long breath as he frowned momentarily. He then brushed some loose strands of hair from my eyes and smiled softly.

"Sephiroth's a good guy, Cloud. Sure, he's a pain in the ass sometimes, socially awkward, a lost cause when it comes to most styles of humour, and… well… a little different to say the least," He squeezed my shoulders, "He's difficult, but I can tell he likes you, and that's not something that happens all that often. If you give up on him now, you'll be losing something great, and so will he…"

He stuck out a hand to tap me under the chin and flick my face up a little.

"Chin up and you'll both be fine. No fight is immune to some kind of solution, you know?" He grinned, before ruffling my hair and pulling me to his chest. Ah, I was right against his bare flesh, and despite his sweaty workout session, he still smelt pleasant. Gaia, listen to me, using words like 'flesh', 'despite' and 'pleasant'. It was yet another example of my body's way of denying "I wanna tap that", or at least "I want that to tap me".

"Anything you said couldn't have been _that_ bad," He said lightly, as I pressed my face closer to him.

"Actually it was… He was kissing my neck and I said your name instead of his," I blurted. I might not have realised I'd even said anything, had Zack's hand not clutched to the back of my head, his body stiffening as he held me frozen against him.

"…Excuse me?" He said softly, still rigid with apparent shock. I buried my face further against him and felt my cheeks flame. Gaia, I was an idiot. My mouth was too often getting me into trouble, and so far, it had done so twice within half an hour. Eh, as the old saying in Nibelheim goes, _"If you step in chocobo shit, you may as well chase the bird."_

"I don't know what happened exactly," I murmured, clinging to him a little tighter with the fear that he might pry me off and disappear again after my next words, "Sephiroth mentioned something missing between us, and I immediately thought of the only thing I didn't have that would make everything perfect, and next thing you know, when things got heated, your name just kind of… showed up…"

Rather than pull me away like I thought, he pulled me closer, and his chin rested atop my chin.

"Cloud," He said softly, his hands rubbing soothing circles over my back, "Do you know what you're saying here?"

"I like you Zack," I nodded firmly, even as I was feeling my cheeks burning and hearing a little quiver on my voice. Gaia, I was turning into a trembling little school girl in his presence. I needed some balls, or I'd always just be that shaky little Nibel kid. Fair enough, it was my nature, but it just wasn't the nature of a SOLDIER, you know? I pulled back slightly, determined features locked onto my face as I nodded.

"If I didn't mean what I said, I wouldn't have said it," I nodded, crossing my arms in brave seriousness, and he tried to cover up a laugh.

"You're too cute," He murmured, moving a hand to trail along my cheeks, and I felt my body quiver again, as he held my gaze with a lazy smile. All too abruptly though, he shook himself to his senses, and frowned, letting his hand fall away.

"You have feelings for Sephiroth though, don't you?" he asked, and he may as well have brought in one of those others SOLDIERs to punch me in my whiney little stomach. Instead, I just ghosted my hand across it and gave a nod. What he said next nearly floored me.

"Well…I do too."

My head span a little bit, and had he not grabbed onto me, I may very well have hit the ground. He sat me down on the bench and let out a frustrated sigh before punching one of the nearby lockers. It buckled under the force, and he grimaced, pulling his hand back and resting his forehead against the metal surface, before turning his gaze to meet mine.

"When did shit become so complicated, huh?" He asked, offering a weak smile, before running his hand into my hair.

"So…" I said slowly, still trying to make sense of the situation, "I have feelings for you and Sephiroth, you have feelings for Sephiroth, and Seph-"

"I have feelings for you too, Cloud," He murmured, scratching the back of his head, "Gaia, do I have feelings for you… I have since the moment I ran into you outside your classroom door. You reeled me in with those big beautiful eyes and I've been hooked ever since."

He smiled warmly then, his hand still running through my hair, as I blushed furiously and let out a giddy laugh. Okay, so maybe I'd set him up a little there. I wasn't a total dumbass, I kinda figured he liked me, I just wanted to hear it, you know? That isn't so selfish of me, is it? I mean, you go from being a quiet little country boy who you could barely spot in a crowd, to having Shinra's top two poster boys admitting to liking you, even just a little bit, and you expect me to let that slide without at least a little ego stroking? Come on, seriously?

There was a comfortable silence, before he slowly sat down beside me and pulled my head to rest against his chest again, placing a kiss on my forehead. I probably would have said something if I knew what would be appropriate for this kind of thing. The truth was I didn't know what to _think_, let alone say or do. Usually instinct had me blabbering out whatever came naturally before I had a chance to register it in my head. I think it might have been a side effect of being blonde, or so my ma had told me when my father of the same hair colour used to come home from the pub with a bruised eye and a lopsided grin.

"_I won that fight fair and square!" _He'd slur, _"Told him exactly what I thought about his treatment of the cattle around here, and I won that fight fair and square!"_

Ma would then spend the next fifteen minutes washing him up and insisting that she should have married Joel Perkins down the road, also a brunette. Hey, it wasn't that pa was wrong about these kinds of things; it's just that he wasn't that adept at picking the right times to bring them up.

"So," I began slowly, "Where do we go from here?"

Zack was quiet, letting out a small puff of air that sounded suspiciously like a muffled laugh.

"I have no idea," He replied, "I have to admit that this never once popped up in my mi-"

He stopped then, and pulled back abruptly. He seemed to have had an epiphany, and was looking at me with barely restrained curiosity.

"Maybe she was right after all," he murmured, "What do you think Sephiroth might feel about us, Cloud?"

"Us?" I frowned, "You mean if you and I were to…?"

I felt suddenly uncomfortable. How would that possibly work? I'd have gone from one beginning of a relationship to another, and either way, would have something missing.

"Not quite," He laughed nervously, his eyes lit up with a kind of nervous excitement at whatever it was he was hinting at.

"You mean us as separate people then?" I suggested, "Well, he's pretty pissed off at me… As for you, I know he's been kind of worried about-"

Zack shook his head, letting out a small snort of laughter as he placed another kiss upon my forehead and brushed his thumbs down both sides of my face as he smiled a little wider.

"You're almost unbearably cute, featherhead," He smiled teasingly, a faint blush rising to his cheeks as he scratched the back of his head. It wasn't often I saw Zack shy, so I started getting an idea of the topic in question.

He couldn't be serious.

Could he?

He leant forward and held a hand against the back of my head, just lightly pressing his lips against mine, before pulling back. Sub-consciously, I followed his mouth, but he'd pulled back too far. Frickin tease. It should be _illegal_ for people to mess with teenage hormones like that. Hot man in authority, hopeless teen in puberty: what did he expect? He rested his forehead against mine, and held my gaze, his brows creased.

"Do you trust me, Cloud?" He asked, and I nodded. He pressed a few more light kisses on my forehead.

"I'm going to see a friend. I'll be back in a little while, then," He paused, "We'll… go see Sephiroth, okay?"

My stomach simultaneously clenched and twisted at the same time, and I was half expecting the action to have me hurtling up my stomach contents all over Zack, but I managed to feebly nod my head instead. Zack gave me a concerned once over, before standing and ruffling my hair.

"Go get some rest or something, you look tired," He smiled, before pretty much trotting out the door, still shirtless. I heard a clatter outside the door and curiously headed for it, opening it and stepping outside.

Elliot was sprawled on the ground with one of the third class SOLDIERs pinning him to the floor. He languidly propped himself up on his free hand when he saw me, and smiled innocently.

"Heya," He said casually, "So… Did you end up finding Zack?"

The third class laughed at this and helped my room mate to his feet.

"You mean the same Zack that let me win that spar?" the third teased.

"You expect me to hold my balance when _that_ walks out topless?" Elliot scoffed, dusting himself off.

"How about a rematch, then?" The third asked, and Elliot shook his head, waving his hand dismissively as he walked with me to the exit.

"Rain check, rain check," The grunt grinned, flinging his arm around my shoulders as the third class gave a warm smile and a friendly nod. Once we'd gotten outside, I elbowed him lightly in the ribs.

"He seems nice?" I suggested, and Elliot snorted, a disbelieving smirk on his face.

"Please, Cloudykins, he's after my body," My senior retorted, "That doesn't equal nice, it equates to 'Horny little bastard'."

"That never seemed to bother you before," I muttered, and he gaped in fake hurt.

"Oh! Your words! They hurt!" He cried dramatically, flinging a hand across his forehead. I rolled my eyes and his smile became decidedly softer, before giving my shoulder a squeeze.

"Nah seriously man, how'd things go with the Lieutenant?"

That was the thing about Elliot. He was a drama queen in every sense of the word, and he'd do anything to pull a smile from you, but he was still always there for you when you needed him to be. As well as that, he knew when to be serious, and he knew when you just wanted him _there_. Not necessarily to talk to, but to just be _there_. I remember this one time, when Ma had called, and I just happened to put her on speakerphone so she could have a bit of a gasbag with Elliot. Before she'd had the chance to though, she told us that my Aunt Shelley over in Kalm had died from some kind of house fire, and Elliot hadn't said a word from then. He'd simply thanked mum for letting me know, pulled me over to the couch and let me cry on his shoulder, whilst feeding me Tim Tams and practically wiping the snot from my nose. In my eyes, the best friends are the ones willing to wipe at your nose when you're you've got as much blubber happening as a whale. I smiled a little at the memory, and Elliot shook me slightly.

"Come on Spikey, gossip," he pressed a little, "You're looking a little happier, so I wanna know what kind of shit went down. Did you tell Fair you liked him?"

_That_ got my attention, as I snapped my eyes over to him, and he snorted.

"Gaia Cloud, from that reaction, anyone might actually believe you're gay!" he laughed, and I saw a little flash of emotion in his eyes I couldn't quite figure out. Kinda looked like he was pissed or something. Nah, more like… hurt? Gaia, that guy's a puzzle.

"Cloud!" He cried, waving a hand in front of my face, "Quit walking around with your head in the sky and focus!"

Pretty sure Ma and Pa had some intuition in naming me, in that case. Cloud, always off in the sky. What kind of a name _was_ Cloud anyway? Kids at school thought my parents were hippies or something. _Apparently_, they just liked the name. Translated to English, Nibelheim actually meant something like 'Cloud home', so I guess it was kind of fitting actual-

"Ow!" I yelped, when Elliot thwacked me swiftly across the back of the head. Son of a bitch.

"Okay, okay!" I scowled, and he placed a kiss on my head and cooed apologies at me until I was pretty much prying him off and muttering a string of 'leech' related phrases.

"Awwww Cloudykins, I'm sorry baby, but you frustrate the shit out of me when you zone out like that," He reasoned, "Where are you and Fair going from here?"

"We're gonna go talk to Sephiroth later," I frowned, rubbing at my head, "So when you're done abusing me we can go hang out for a bit if you like."

"Peachy. My shout, I'm guessing," He sighed, giving a roll of his eyes, "You country boys and your distinct lack of money. Honestly."

His arm then abruptly slid off my shoulder, and he walked rigidly at my side, his smile slipping from his lips. He stopped, and I looked to see Sephiroth approaching. I inwardly groaned, but said nothing, springing to attention instead, as Elliot did.

The General stopped before us, his eyes settling on mine briefly like he had no idea what it was exactly he should be showing me he felt. He took the wise option, and settled his gaze on Elliot.

"Good afternoon, General," Elliot nodded.

"Good afternoon, cadet," Sephiroth said smoothly, his eyes seemingly narrowing slightly as a sense of familiarity washed over him. He _knew_ Elliot?

"Elliot, isn't it?" Sephiroth asked, as Elliot simply nodded, "On recommendation of Hojo, I read your paper on Theories of Materia Fusion. Admittedly, I was impressed."

"Thank you, General Sephiroth, sir."

"The theory regarding firaga was particularly interesting. Do you have an affinity for fusions, cadet?"

"You might say so, sir," Elliot replied tightly, flicking eyes to me briefly, "But my friend here has a higher grasp of the concepts than I do, sir. Perhaps your words of… high praise… may be better directed to him, sir, if I may be so bold to suggest?"

It was so weird to see Elliot in full-blown cadet mode, but oddly fitting for this situation. He was being a total ass to the General, but polite enough that Sephiroth couldn't say a word. Sephiroth said nothing, holding my gaze for a few moments. He _almost_ looked as if he were to say something worthwhile, _almost_ looked like he was going to apologise, but instead gave a small nod and a quiet "Good to hear."

There was a pause, and he nodded again.

"Perhaps we could… talk… sometime? About… this?" He asked, obviously uncomfortable making implications in front of Elliot.

"I'd like that, sir," I nodded, and his eyes seemed a little relieved. He then turned back to Elliot, whose eyes were decidedly darker than a few moments ago.

"Enjoy your day then, cadets," He said politely, heading for the halls.

"You too, General!" Elliot called over his shoulder at the General's retreating back, before dropping his voice significantly, "You arrogant ass..."

"Elliot," I murmured warningly, well aware that Sephiroth may have been able to hear him. He shrugged it off though, and kept walking, face stony.

"Unless you two become buddies again, I don't have to pretend I like him," The ebony haired numbskull retorted.

"He's the frickin _General_, Elliot," I groaned, "You have no choice."

"Yeah, well not everything in life is _fair_, is it?" He said cryptically, offering a coy smirk as he flung his arm back around my shoulders and steered me for the base entrance.

--

"If Cloud and Elliot jumped off the top of a building, who would hit the ground first?"

"Dunno, who?"

"Elliot. Cloud would stop and ask for directions."

I felt my ears burn a little, knowing full well that my face must have been doing the same, as the rest of the table cracked up into laughter. Gaia, blonde jokes. Being one of the few fair haired cadets, any social occasion had them coming from left, right and centre. At the moment, Jordan, one of the newer recruits, was dishing them out fluently whilst we all waited for our food to be served. Why Elliot picked this place to eat at was a mystery to me. _Everyone_ at Shinra seemed to eat here.

"Hey, hey," Jordan snickered, recovering from his laughing bout, "Did you hear about Cloud's application to Shinra?"

There was a silence long enough to build suspense, before he bit back on a laugh.

"He studied for the standard blood test… and he failed!"

There was another round of laughter, as I sunk a little further into my chair. Elliot gave me a clap on the shoulder and a warm smile.

"Awwww come on kiddo," He smiled softly, "They're just having some fun."

The damn jokes weren't even funny. They were old, out-dated, and lacking wit or class.

"I know," I replied shortly, never happier to see our food being brought out than I was then.

I started digging into my potato, and Elliot seemed to pick up on the scowl crawling across my face.

"Hey, hey," Jordan snorted, "How do you make Cloud's eyes light up?"

"Come on guys," Elliot said seriously, still smiling, waving his arms in an apparent gesture of peace making.

"Shine a flashlight in his ears!" Jordan snorted regardless, followed by yet another round of clapping and laughter. Idiots. None of them seemed to remember that I was top of the class, and had often helped several of them with their homework. The thing was, I knew it was them just trying to have fun or whatever and I guess I really shouldn't be taking it personal, but it was hard enough fitting in with city people as it was without all the taunting I'd copped back home.

"Alright, alright," Jordan seemed to resign, before opening his mouth once more, "What do you call ten blondes ear to ear?"

Elliot rolled his eyes, and I braced myself.

"A wind tunnel!"

At this, there was another round of laughs, and I bit back my anger that Elliot was one of them. He's fine sticking up for me in front of _Sephiroth_, but not in front of the other cadets?

"Hey, hey," A voice called from the head of the table, "What's the difference between Jordan and those faulty door alarms over at headquarters?"

There was a dead silence then, as everyone noticed who it was who was speaking.

"Not much," Zack smiled dangerously, his eyes glinting with a warning, "Both of them are gonna be heading out of Shinra if they don't learn when to shut the hell up, though."

"Lieutenant Fair, sir!" Jordan and the rest of the table saluted, before Zack briskly returned the favour.

"Let me give you a hint, guys," He said quietly, "Just remember you're all equals, okay? All of you. Be careful who you hang shit on, yeah? There was this one kid in my training group who got hassled the most out of everyone. He never went by anything else but 'grunt of the year', and copped a lot of crap about his looks too. You know what happened to him?"

The group shook there heads quietly, seemingly shamed into silence.

"He became _Lieutenant_ Fair, SOLDIER First Class," Zack said lowly with a dangerous smirk, before gesturing for me to go over to him, "Just remember that."

The cadets nodded, as I abandoned my food and headed after Zack. They may as well have had tails between their legs as they watched me go, the mood suddenly turning decidedly somber. I'd never been happier about one of Zack's random appearances.

He walked out of the restaurant with me hot on his heels, and he placed a hand on my head as I caught up to him. He offered a small smile, before ruffling my hair.

"Don't let them get to you kid. Tall poppy syndrome is all it is. They're not gonna grow as high as you, so they're trying to chop you down a bit," He shrugged, before grinning, "But it'll be worth it when they're working at Shinra as maintenance workers or drill instructors, and you can go breathing down their necks whenever you feel like dishing out a little payback."

I laughed a little, and he pinched the back of my neck in a massaging notion, before furrowing his brows slightly.

"Makes me wonder what the hell your friend was doing just sitting there, though."

"He gets a little pressured sometimes, I guess," I defended, although I couldn't for the life of me understand why. By all rights, Elliot should have copped an earful off of Zack too.

"Yeah, don't blame him too much," Zack smiled reassuringly, "That four eyed little bastard thinks the world of you."

I nodded, continuing to walk, as Zack squeezed my shoulder. It was then that I realised where we were going, and I stilled momentarily. Sephiroth had been so… well, he'd been a real man bitch just before. How was Zack so sure this was going to work out in any other way than Sephiroth impaling the both of us on Masamune? Zack then gave a reassuring grin, as if on cue and winked.

"Trust me kid, I know what I'm doing and I'm almost certain shit's gonna work out," He nodded.

Oh, if I could believe just one of those statements.

--

**A/N**: May or may not be last update for awhile, and as per usual, I hate it.

Is there too much Elliot, maybe? I hate using shitty OCs too much, ya know? I DUNNO. I originally wanted each character to have a side-kick kind of thing. Or a side story. Seph- Hojo, Zack- Aerith, and Cloud- Elliot. Zzzz. Humbug. Feedback please, I'm desperate. Q.Q


	8. Chapter 8

This chapter simply has to be dedicated to sephcounttheways. Happy travelling, hun.

**Warnings: See previous chapters. Although, this chapter, there **_**is**_** smut. -Cough- This also means that this is a LONG CHAPTER. **

_Lieutenant Fair's point of View_

_Zack knew what he wanted, and theoretically, how to get it. It was the putting everything into motion that scared the absolute shit out of him. But hey, if Kunsel had any sense to him at all, then the only thing he needed to set everything up nicely was a little bit of balls. _

* * *

Okay, so… Confident smile? Check. Confident stride? Check. Undeniably adorable bundle of blonde haired love scampering by my side? Oh yeah, that was a check. Now all I needed was to hold my composure and hope I didn't soil myself somewhere between here and Seph's office. Fuck. So, I've had this problem with nerves ever since I was a little kid. Most of the time, it didn't come up much in SOLDIER. If it did, I could swap it around to some excited enthusiasm and go bouncing off the walls like some kind of racquetball on cocaine. People were used to that. What people _weren't_ used to was my other 'pubescent teenager' reaction, which unfortunately was showing its ugly head at this present time. I stopped walking and leant against the nearest wall, my head spinning, as Cloud looked on in concern.

"Zack?" he murmured, obviously noticing the draining of colour from my cheeks. Fuck. Fuck, fuckity, fuck. Not now. I offered a weak smile.

"Yeah?" I grinned, and he frowned slightly, looking on in an apparently concerned sense of unease.

"Are you feeling alright? You're sweating and everything. Did you have any of the cafeteria food?" The blonde asked, and a small sense of relief flooded me as I realised I now had an alibi.

"Yeah, you know, I always told you not to eat shit from there," I laughed, inwardly groaning at how strained it sounded. Cloud gently placed a hand on my back, patting me slightly, and just about all the walls I was holding up came down in a spectacular fashion. After projectile vomiting just about half of my stomach contents, I turned to face the blonde, who was looking on in nothing less than stunned mortification.

"Hoooly shit, Zack!" a familiar voice snorted, "You okay, man? I told you not to overdo it on those squats."

"I'm all good!" I grinned charmingly, as Kunsel made his way around the mess I'd created and gave a concerned look at my blonde accomplice.

"Hey, are _you_ alright?" He asked, as Cloud offered a small nod.

"That… is the most disgusting…" The blonde murmured, turning away from the sight as he dry wretched a few times. That's exactly how I did _not_ want shit to go down. Showing up at Sephiroth's office reeking of vomit, Cloud pale and clammy beside me, whilst subtly trying to suggest a less than conventional solution to all of these 'problems' we were having. Kunsel pulled me aside then, and the second class gave a small frown from under his helmet.

"Is this that whole 'nerves' thing you were telling me about ages ago?" He asked, as I gave a small groan in reply. Why now?

"So what's going on?" Kunsel asked, as I peered over his shoulder at Cloud propping himself up against a tree and fanning himself with his hand.

"Well, I was all planning on taking your advice and shit, and then halfway through walking over-"

"Wait, wait," Kunsel held up a hand, "You're _seriously_ heading to Sephiroth's office right _now_?"

"Yeah, why not?" I grinned, subconsciously moving back slightly as Kunsel apparently cringed at my breath.

"You can't go _now_. Look at you!" The second class sighed, steering me towards the barracks, Cloud taking it upon himself to trot a few paces behind, "And you _stink_. You know that, right? Hey kiddo, maybe give us half an hour or so, yeah?"

Kunsel smiled warmly at Cloud then, and the blonde gave a thoughtful nod, before smiling reassuringly at me and heading for his own room.

"I leave you for an hour and you turn into _this_," the SOLDIER sighed slightly, "And you expect me to not want answers?"

I tried as best as I could to fill him in on everything so far; Cloud coming into the locker rooms, Cloud talking about Cloud and Sephiroth, me talking about Sephiroth with Cloud, the restaurant, my eventual decision to go striding into Seph's office with fierce determination in my eyes, and finally, vomiting on my shoes. I mean really, this was kind of Kunsel's fault. He'd been the one to stand by and watch me do squats, prattling off his theories about a three-way-rendezvous of sorts between Cloud, Sephiroth and I. He'd made it sound almost easy, and with Aerith's self-assured smile printed in the back of my mind too, why the hell wouldn't it sound like a good idea? I inwardly groaned, well aware of at least six different reasons why it would _not_ sound like such a great idea after all. Four of those involved decapitation of some sort with Masamune.

"Wait, wait, there's a heck of a big chunk missing there," Kunsel interrupted my mindless blabbering, "What the hell did you do between the locker rooms and the restaurant? From what you say, there was a big gap between the two."

Shit. Was kind of hoping he wouldn't pick that up.

"Shower, shave, daily fix of Midgar's best soap operas out there," I grinned, and he rolled his eyes, seemingly buying the tale.

Truth be told, I'd gone back to hassle Aerith. Considering how close knit she was with the Turks and all, I'd told Kunsel I'd not go to her house anymore, considering the pinhead was stressing out over tampering or whatever. As far as I saw, she was an Ancient; big deal, she wasn't a science experiment. Keeping that in mind, I couldn't exactly tell Kunsel I'd snuck off base during a time where we might have been called for combat. Anyway, Aerith was a doll as always. She'd opened the door to my charming smile and a handful of flowers. Pretty sure she knew I'd gotten them from her garden, if the eye roll was any indication, but she'd ushered me in anyway.

"Afternoon, Zack," Elmyra had smiled as I'd entered, and I gave a polite nod.

"Afternoon Mrs. Gainsborough," I smiled a little wider, and she gave a flattered little chuckle before returning to the dishes.

"You're worse than a freaking straight guy, honestly!" Aerith sighed, stomping her way up the staircase. Elmyra offered a small shrug as I followed her daughter, before she offered a small wink. Come to think of it, that wink hadn't been entirely too pure… Well shit, that raised another can of worms… Anyway, Aerith had pretty much dragged me to her room and fallen back onto her bed as I took my spot in the desk chair beside her, absent-mindedly tossing a stress ball around and recapping the day's events.

"Well I _told_ you," Aerith offered an exaggerated sigh, and I'd turned to face her properly, her green eyes positively livid as she stared at an empty space on her wall.

"Hey, what's the deal, bright eyes?" I asked, as she let out a deflated sigh and shook her head, seemingly dissipating some of her anger.

"PMS?" I offered cautiously, before she hurtled one of her bangles in my direction. After a five minute full-blown lecture regarding a woman's rights to be upset at 'any Gaia damned time of the month, thank you very much you sexist bastard', she eventually settled herself down again and offered a small smile.

"That's great about you and Cloud, and Sephiroth," She murmured, "I keep dreaming about the three of you."

She blushed then, pulling her knees up to her chest as she let brown curls hang loosely over her shoulders, her arms resting around her knees.

"You wouldn't have happened to have dreamt about the whole conversation that started it, would you?" I asked, and she smiled softly.

"Sort of. Cloud wasn't there though; it was just you and the General. He looked so angry when you first told him about Cloud."

I'd given a shrug then and told her she must have gotten something wrong, because I was fully intending on taking Cloud with me. She gave a secretive smile then, before offering a small shrug and toying with the hem of her skirt.

"Not everything works out the way we plan, Zack," She smiled softly, before rolling her eyes when Elmyra called from downstairs.

"Alright, get out," She teased, "The more you're around, the more she hassles me."

I feigned a look of hurt, and she swatted my arm.

"Go look for Cloud then, if you're so eager to drag him along on your little misadventures," She laughed, before practically pushing me all the way out the door. I'd almost immediately gone off to do what she'd demanded, and here I was now, tactfully avoiding a suddenly suspicious gaze from Kunsel.

"You went to see the Ancient girl, didn't you?" he asked, and I groaned slightly.

"Look, she has a name. It's Aerith," I replied haughtily, and he snorted slightly, barely holding back a smile.

"Relax. It may not be the brightest thing in the world for you to do, but I'll deal with it if it helps you out," Kunsel shrugged, clapping me over the shoulder. Kunsel was one of those guys you couldn't help but want to cling to like some kind of fluffy little puppy dog. Sure, you never really got to see the guy without his Gaia damned helmet on, but that's kind of what added to the persona.

"Let's clean you up," a set of full white teeth grinned from under the helmet, as Kunsel opened his apartment door. I'd been too screwed up thinking about shit to realise where we were, until Kunsel was quite literally shoving me inside. I'd always liked his style for such a small living space, and he coloured it well. It was pretty cool to walk into someone else's place and have it bring back so many memories of your own that didn't even have anything to do with the owner. I'd spent most of my second class days in a closet space like this one, but for most of the time, I didn't really have much time to spend in here. If it wasn't Tseng grinding my ass into the ground, it was Seph- Yeah, okay, the wording there was doing no good for the mental images in my head. Who was I kidding though? Sephiroth was _gorgeous_, but more than that he was outright _sexy_. Gaia, I could salivate over the mere thou-

"Oi lover boy," Kunsel jeered, poking me in the ribs, "Pay attention."

"Yeah, sorry," I grinned, and Kunsel shook his head as he grabbed his mail and checked his phone messages. The guy had an elegant kind of way about him as he stood by the kitchen counter, a light, almost gentlemanly smile along his lips. Until he talked.

"I was saying… did you want anything to drink, considering you projectile-chucked up whatever you had in your gut?" Kunsel grinned, and whatever elegant image I'd formed of him was destroyed.

"Water," I rolled my eyes, as he grinned cheekily and rummaged through his fridge.

I cast my gaze around the place, and sneakily grinned when I found a picture of what had to be an unmasked Kunsel. At least, it was a guy about the same height as him, in a Shinra uniform _minus_ the helmet, and standing with a woman who I knew was Kunsel's mum. Kunsel must have spotted it, however, as he let out a small curse.

"Aw man, _please_ don't look at that," the second class groaned, trying to pull me away from the photo. I swatted him away, and my grin grew.

"Kunsel, you're _hot_!" I teased, bringing a blush to his cheeks.

"Fuck off man, this is why I don't bring queers home," The second class mumbled, "I'm meant to have an air of mystique about me, and you bastards come prying around and ousting me as the hillbilly bush pig I am."

I couldn't have disagreed with that statement more. He had dark brown hair, a little past his ears, and underneath that helmet was a set of eyes blue enough to almost rival Cloud's. Team it together with that cute little smile that the guy had, and Kunsel was a guy magnet. Or, well, a chick magnet considering his side of the fence. Still, he'd become too much like a little brother to make cracks at, and he was _straight._ Kunsel shoved me into the bathroom and started fussing about with my hair, however, opening a cabinet to reveal row after row of beauty products, and I had to doubt that last thought. I rose a brow at what I know knew to be the 'brunette', and he faltered in his rambles.

"I just like to take care of myself," He said haughtily, before handing me an unopened toothbrush and shoving me to the sink, "Brush your teeth."

I did as I was told, and he watched with a small smile on his features.

"What?" I mumbled around my toothbrush, and he shook his head.

"You've got guts, Fair," He nodded, "Wish I had half of the courage you do."

I waved a hand dismissively, and spat into the basin, giving him a whiff of my breath, as he screwed up his face and pointed back at the brush.

I continued brushing as he casually flicked through the mail still in his hand, and occasionally dumped things in the nearby rubbish bin. He eyed me off then, a smirk still licking at his lips.

"What?" I mumbled around my brush, and he let out a small laugh.

"You're _really_ going through with this?" He asked, and I shrugged, spitting into the basin and rolling my jaw around a little.

"You're the one who suggested it," I replied, a scowl along my features as he cautiously sniffed my breath again, before handing me cologne.

"Yeah, but I dunno. It seems like such a simple idea," He paused, "Because, you know, it's a win-win… win… situation. BUT!

"But what?"

"Well, it's pretty much every straight guy's dream to have a threesome with two girls and get some nooky," Kunsel grinned then, and I pretended to gag, "BUT, I dunno how you'd go about making it… a relationship, you know?"

I shrugged as I splashed on some cologne and ran a comb through my hair, looking myself over in the mirror. He clapped a hand over my shoulder and smiled at me in the mirror, a perfect row of teeth showing from beneath his helmet.

"Hey, shit just seems to work for you though, so I have no doubts you'll be fine," He reassured, giving my shoulder a squeeze, before kicking me out of his bathroom and pushing me towards the door. I made sure to put in as many comments as I could about him being a pushy ass hole, before turning once I was in the hallway and seeing his wide grin briefly, before the door slammed shut on my face.

"Go get 'em tiger!" I heard his muffled call through the door, "I'm busting for the toilet."

He seemed to offer the last bit as a kind of explanation, but it kinda made me think that sometimes you just didn't _want_ to hear that kind of shit.

* * *

I swallowed hard, standing outside that big old mahogany door, utterly and completely _alone_.

"You can go in, Mister Fair."

…Apart from the secretary, that was.

"Uh, thanks," I grinned, before standing and staring at the handle for a few more moments. The secretary must have thought I was crazy or something, as she eyed me off from her desk with increasing concern. She was yet another new face around here, and it made me wonder what it was that kept inspiring Seph to hire new ones. Most of them were female, but on occasion, he'd had quite a few pretty boys come in and take the title. Basically, it couldn't have _always_ been about the eye candy. I shifted slightly on my feet, as her gaze continued to rest on me.

"Lieutenant Fair, are you alright?" She asked, and I gave a firm nod. She really didn't know when to shut up, did she? The secretary then cleared her throat and announced through the intercom that I was there, and seemingly hesitant to come through the door. Bitch. It was then that the door swung open and I nearly swallowed my tongue.

"Hello," He said slowly, a rumble through his chest, as he settled his gaze on my eyes, a smirk licking at his lips. I swallowed again, and managed to plaster a grin across my stupefied face.

"Yeah okay, hello," I rolled my eyes a little, "You wanna move your ass so I can get in?"

He stepped aside, and I sidled into his office, the door closing behind me with a metallic 'click' which sounded _way_ too loud in the enclosed space. Gaia, I wished Cloud was here.

After heading back to the little blonde fur ball's quarters, I'd run into Elliot, who was as flirtatious as ever as he answered the door.

"Oh, he's not here," The grunt had smirked deviously from the doorway, "But you're welcome to come in if you like."

I raised a brow at him, and he placed a hand across his chest, feigning hurt.

"You seem to be mistrusting of my hospitable nature," he pouted, before becoming drastically more serious, "But no, he's not here. He had to do an errand for the drill sergeant, and was hoping it would give him extra credit of some sort. What did you do to him?"

I'd stilled at that, looking on in confusion, as he leant casually against the door frame, all mirth slipping from his eyes.

"He was damn near shaking like a leaf when he came back here, as timid as the first day he hit Shinra. He kept saying something about 'doing something with Zack', and a reluctance about 'taking that next step'," Elliot narrowed his eyes slightly, "I like you a lot Fair, you know that, but Cloud is more important to me than _anyone_ will realise. So I'll ask again, what did you do to him?"

Well what do you know, Cloud had a guard dog, and he was a nasty son of a bitch at times…

"I didn't do anything," I replied stiffly, all mirth dropping from my own tone, "He was simply going to accompany me to the General's office, regarding personal matters between Cloud, General Sephiroth, and me. If you think for a minute that I would do something to Cloud that would ups-"

"It's all I needed to hear, Lieutenant," Elliot interjected, that cheeky grin returning abruptly to his lips, "You can stop flaring mako at me now, it would seem you're not a filthy lecher after all and I no longer have any desire to kick your ass."

He then gave me a once over, before standing up from his casual lean against the door frame.

"That's not to say I couldn't find something else to do involving your ass," He wiggled his eyebrows, and I snorted, before gesturing at my own appearance.

"Good?"

"Understatement of the year," He nodded in approval, gesturing for me to turn around. I did so, and a low moan rumbled from his throat.

"Oh Gaia, you truly are gorgeous," he murmured, looking at me almost predatorily, "Who helped doll you up for this little get together?"

"Kunsel."

He screwed his nose up at that in distaste.

"A _straight_ guy? Ugh," He frowned, "Although, I give him credit for doing a fine job."

He then leant forward, teasing smirk along his lips, as I stilled. He was a few inches from me then, before he pulled back just as abruptly.

"Nice cologne," He remarked casually, before giving another cheeky grin and claiming he was running late for catch up classes and kicking me out in much the same fashion that Kunsel had. Shinra was always full of surprises.

"Zackary?" Sephiroth drawled then, as my attention snapped back to reality. He was looking on in amusement, his emerald gaze set squarely on me, a languid smirk trailing along his lips.

"Mrmm?"

"What are you here for?" He asked, forcing his amusement away, seemingly after seeing the anxiety creeping along my features. I scratched the back of my head, a nervous habit I picked up some time back in primary school, and shrugged slightly as he looked at me from his position behind his desk. He was… breathtaking. Surely he knew that, every time someone settled their gaze on him and caught an eyeful of that beautiful hair, and those eyes, and that body, and oh Gaia, talk about the leathe-

"Zackary…"

He'd said it softly, coaxingly, and all too terribly invitingly. The band-aid effect had failed me before, but I was hoping it wouldn't fail me now. Just grab it by the edges and tear it off.

"I'm pretty sure I'm in love with Cloud," I said quietly, but firmly, as a myriad of emotion flashed through his eyes in that single moment. He remained silent however, as I leant against his desk before him. That bit wasn't the biggest part of the revelations section though.

"Cloud has feelings for me too," I continued, as I watched a bright flare of mako burn through his eyes. His head fell forward slightly as he rested his arms on top of his desk, and seemingly became lost in thought. I was giving him an opening to say something, _anything_, but he chose silence as his most fitting option, and it was damn near tearing me apart. I fell back in the chair behind me, well aware of Aerith's reminder in my ears. He'd be angry at first, she said that, but he was going to warm up to it. He _was_ going to, right?

"Whereabouts is Cloud, then?" He asked slowly, his eyes still not rising from their position on the middle of his desk. I leant forward slightly, and he finally raised his eyes. For the most part, they still looked angry, but they were quickly becoming filled with confusion and what seemed to be hurt. Shit, no, I never _ever_ wanted to see that.

"Seph…"

"Where is he?"

"With his drill instructor…"

He nodded, before picking up the handle of his telephone and making a call. I felt that weird anxiety rising up in me again, and when I started to get the shakes, I begged Gaia for a break. If I was leaving this office, I was leaving successfully… not covered in sweat and vomit.

"Jameson," He nodded as the person on the other end picked up, "Send Strife to my office immediately… Don't ask questions, just do it."

I tensed a little at his overall curtness, as he hung up the phone and pressed a hand to his temple. It was quiet for some time, even as his eyes continued to glow.

"Sephiroth, please, we jus-"

"Why would you do this?" He asked sharply, "Was it some kind of revenge scheme for something I'd done, or perhaps a way to… A way to- Gaia!"

He placed his palms flat on the table, as he practically bristled, his eyes meeting mine in a manner that made me entirely uncomfortable.

"Do you know how I _feel_ right now, Zackary?" he said lowly, and I opened my mouth to say something, but fell short. He let out a sigh as he stood, and began pacing, his feet practically burning a path along the floor, he was so pissed.

"And why would you tell me this? Even you know that sometimes those 'little white lies' are beneficial for the wellbeing of other comrades, yet you chose to be blatant in your truths now?" He frowned, his eyes not meeting mine.

I couldn't handle it. He wouldn't even give me a shred of recognition, and I was left standing like an idiot whilst he threw accusations at me and let my tail droop between my legs. I slammed my hands down on his desk as hard as I could afford to, and he stopped, his eyes finally turning to mine. It was a standoff then, as we both glared each other down.

"For Shiva's sake, if you had have let me finish, I would have-"

"Furthered the damage? Do you possibly have any more surprises hidden up your sleeve that you're keeping from me, Lieutenant?" He rounded, his own fists hitting the desk before him, as I snapped.

"There you go again, jumping to conclusions!" I snapped, "You know, it might have been a bit of a hassle for me when you two hooked up behind my back too, but do you think I bitched and whined about it? No!"

"So that was your motivation, was it? To come to me with this information and make me feel like I had _unintentionally_ made you feel?" He snapped, his words icy as I leant on the desk again, my hands banging once more.

"If you'd quit interrupting me I could-"

"Could _what_ exactly?"

"Tell you that Cloud still has feelings for you, you idiot!" I snapped, as his fists unclenched, that odd silence returning once again as I let out a long breath.

"And so do I," I said significantly softer, turning my gaze from his in a mixture of nerves and a sudden onset of embarrassment, "And we were coming here to talk to you to try and figure out some kind of… compromise, I guess you could say."

The silence extended again, as I pointedly avoided his gaze. I'd seemingly stunned him into silence, but I could still feel those eyes trying to draw mine to them. I did so reluctantly, a further defense on my lips, but the moment I raised my gaze, he had a hand extended and cupping the back of my neck as he practically crashed my lips into his, his tongue prying at my mouth as I let out a soft groan, unbidden, from my lips. Good Gaia, he knew how to work that tongue of his, and I was practically clawing my way across the desk to get a little more, my fingers diving into his hair as I tugged at silver locks and drew something akin to a purr from him. Then, he was nipping lightly, his teeth tugging at my bottom lip in an almost feline manner, before his tongue continued to press and glide against my own with a subtle sensuality. Wait… waitwaitwait…

"Seph…" I urged, pulling back slightly, even as his lips tried to follow mine. He opened lust hazed eyes, and his fingers toyed with a stray lock of hair at the back of my neck. Urgh… He _definitely _felt that little shiver run down my spine as the pads of his fingers trailed feather soft touches along my skin.

"Yes?" He murmured, that delicious smirk edging along his lips again.

"You're not… angry?"

"Angry?" He scoffed, "I thought you were smarter than that, Zackary. Have you misunderstood my blatant flirtatious remarks and gestures up until this point?"

"You hooked up with Cloud though, and I-"

"I had to make a choice, and Cloud was showing that he was much more willing than you were at the time," He remarked casually, "It was not an easy choice, nor was it something that I could live with, guilt free."

His eyes flicked from mine briefly, and due to the attempt at a serious conversation, I really wished he'd stop playing with the hair along my neck. It was more than a little distracting.

"I wanted you both," he admitted softly, "But wasn't sure of the etiquette in such a situation."

You and me both.

Cloud chose that moment to knock timidly on the door and pop his head reluctantly around the corner. His eyes were wide with caution, as he eyed off the pair of us with a shaky smile on his lips.

"Strife," Sephiroth nodded, playing tough General, even though his eyes lit up the moment he saw the blonde.

"General Sephiroth, sir. I heard you need me for something," Cloud nodded firmly, saluting Sephiroth, before flicking his eyes briefly to me in question.

"I've been speaking to Lieutenant Fair here," Sephiroth began slowly, his voice becoming softer in spite of his act, "And he informs me that… you and he share feelings for each other. Is that correct?"

Cloud looked over at me again, mild panic in his eyes. I wondered if Sephiroth realised the attitude he was portraying was borderline terrifying the blonde.

"Cloud…" I began, but Sephiroth shook his head. He wanted to hear it from Cloud, and that only unsettled the blonde more, as his cheeks reddened, his eyes watering slightly.

"Yes…" he said softly, swallowing hard, "I do, but Sephiroth…"

"Romantic feelings?" Sephiroth interrupted, as Cloud turned watery eyes to me in desperation. I had to turn away, for fear that the freaking fear in his eyes was going to tear me apart.

"Yes…" He choked, a shudder going through him as he fought back tears, "I apologise sir. I was hoping that things would work out differently. I can't say how sorry… How sorry I am that they didn't."

Sephiroth let out a soft sigh, stepping forward and pulling Cloud against him by the back of his fluffy little head, the blonde letting out a sniffle as he did so. Seph then did something kind of unexpected, as he wrapped his free arm around Cloud's shoulders and placed a soft kiss on top of blonde locks. I hated it. I hated how I could look at that and find it so… gorgeous… I dunno, there was a part of me that reared up with envy seeing them both together, but there were two other sides to it as well. One filled me with happiness over the fact that they both looked really good together. The other was a flare of desire. I mean heck, they were both very, _very_ beautiful men. Cloud was a little more on the boyish side, but did that really matter?

"I should be the one apologizing," Sephiroth admitted, somewhat ashamedly, "I believe my approach lead you to believe that things were worse than they really are. Zachary has also told me that you still have feelings for me, and you were looking for a solution."

I saw Cloud nod his head against Sephiroth's chest, before pulling back to wipe at his eyes.

"Look at me blubbering like an idiot…" he murmured, offering a weak smile, "I was just… You kind of frightened me. I thought I'd upset you."

"You thought you upset me, yet you're the one crying?" Sephiroth smiled teasingly, bringing another blush to the blonde's cheek, as he laughed, embarrassed. The kid was cute as a button. The only times I'd ever seen him get teary was at the expense of others, in one way or another. Still, the kid had a lot of guts and he was firebrand too. He handled stuff better than most of the other people in his class, and his will was as strong as a bull's. His only fault lay in his empathy, in terms of making it to the higher ranks. You couldn't be too empathic in the middle of a war zone, and I guess that was what made-

"Zachary," Sephiroth broke my thoughts, emerald eyes settling on me as his fingers slid idly through blonde hair, "Any input?"

I faltered slightly, swallowing hard, as I realised that Cloud's tears had subsided, and he was now looking at me with hopeful, albeit slightly puffy, eyes. I dunno if he knew how alluring he was being right now, or whether it was just my undeniable adoration of him, or whether I was wrong on both accounts, but I wanted a piece of that.

"I… dunno what to say," I croaked, before clearing my throat. That was kinda embarrassing. Cloud looked concerned, but Sephiroth knew better, as he let a smirk creep along his lips.

"Are you okay?" Cloud asked, "You sound kinda choked up…"

"Uh yeah… I'm fine," I nodded, "So, do you think this would work? You know…Us? All of us?"

There, it was said; plain as day. It was out there.

"What do you mean?" Sephiroth asked, that smirk still toying along his lips. I could have killed him, then and there. Fucker. He was toying with me. He just wanted me to say… whatever he wanted me to say. I wasn't a hundred percent sure, but I knew he'd get it out of me.

"Do you think the three of us can have some kind of relationship that would work?" I said, a little more forced from frustration. Cloud blushed as the words were spoken, and buried his head back into Sephiroth's chest, seemingly giddy in his smile. Sephiroth raised a brow, slowly, deliberately, and gave a small nod.

"I want the both of you, in more ways than one," He said simply, and as I swallowed hard and Cloud let out a little groan, he shrugged slightly, seemingly resigning to the fact.

"I see no point in being coy any more. I don't think that if the choice came, I could choose either of you on your own," He said softly, turning to Cloud and lifting his chin, "I felt that the something that was missing with us was… Zack."

Cloud nodded enthusiastically at the General.

"Same. I thought I was being too selfish or something to not be _quite_ content with just you, you know?" He blurted, before letting out a small laugh, and returning his head to Seph's chest, although his eyes were now settled on me. It seemed to be a preferred place for him to hide when he was particularly bashful. I'll take note of that and make sure he has a spot on me that he likes to hide to- Whoa boy. Sephiroth was gently prying Cloud off him now, turning himself to face me, and I felt like a wobbling little amoeba wriggling under that intense gaze.

"Well, now that we've agreed on our mutual feelings, let's test it out," Sephiroth said casually, although his smile was anything but.

"You look like you wanna eat me…" I smirked teasingly, even though I was pretty much trembling and subconsciously stepping back a little. He just kept on advancing.

My breath stilled a little then, as big, bold and beautiful himself had my back hitting the wall behind me. His hands rested on either side of my head as he hovered over me, and a dark, yet seductive smirk began creeping across his lips. I honestly couldn't decide whether to be terrified or turned on. Either way, he had that look on his face again, like he was going to eat me alive, and although I wasn't complaining too much, he had that darker intent lurking in his eyes as well. I didn't have much time to dwell on it any further, before he'd brought his lips down firmly against mine, and I groaned slightly as his tongue slid along my lips. I reached out and snatched the arrogant son of a bitch by the coat and pulled him closer to me with a violent tug, which only seemed to widen the smirk now pressed against my mouth. As a small gasp resounded, I wasn't too sure whether it was my own or one of Cloud's, as the blonde looked on in apparent shock. My head spun as I felt Silverlocks thread a hand around my waist and pull me even closer, letting me know just how _in_ to this entire situation he really was. He pulled back from his attack on my mouth, for lack of a better description, before leaning in to bite lightly on my earlobe, flooding my cheeks with heat at the needy little whine I gave out. Well shit, I wasn't meant to be some needy, clingy little bitch around him, but it felt _good_.

"Are you kidding? I've wanted you since the first time I saw you _smile_," He murmured hotly against my ear, leaving me breathless with the almost romantic notion of the murmured words. That was, until he left me _entirely_ breathless by trailing his hands down to grip roughly at my ass and lifted me up slightly, before moving in to bite down on my neck. This time, I knew the gasp that resounded through the room was _definitely_ mine. In reaction to the gesture, I automatically wrapped my legs around him, finding the instant pressure against my growing hard-on a pleasant surprise, as I adjusted my position slightly to make the most of it. I clenched my eyes shut then, as a very wet, very teasing tongue slowly slid from my collarbone to rest just below my ear. His lips then teased and nibbled, leaving just enough suction to undoubtedly leave a love bite just behind my ear, before his ministrations ceased, his teeth biting once more. It was then that he stopped entirely. I wondered why he'd done so for a moment, before my eyes opened and I could see a very familiar head of spikey blonde hair just behind Sephiroth's back. On further inspection, it appeared that Cloud had placed his hands around the front of the General and was timidly trailing fingers along Sephiroth's expanse of bare chest.

As Sephiroth pulled back from me, his eyes glazed slightly with amused lust, it seemed that I wasn't the only one surprised by our little blonde bundle of love's bold move.

"Uh… sorry?" Cloud murmured bashfully, raising his head to meet both mine and Sephiroth's, the General now looking over his shoulder at the cadet. Sephiroth turned to me briefly, quirking a brow.

"He attempts to participate… And he _apologizes_?" He smirked, as I let out a snort in spite of my own desires still burning through my blood. Cloud's cheeks just about flared as he gave an indignant scowl. Sephiroth's eyes glittered once again with a dark amusement, and he exchanged a message within that gaze that even I couldn't misunderstand. Basically, Cloud was in for it.

"Well you can't expect to… to do _that_, and then think that I'm not at least going to want to _touch_ you for crying out loud," The blonde muttered, as I felt Sephiroth pry my legs from his waist and lower me to the ground with a teasing press of his lips against my chin, biting slightly, before flashing his eyes in a pre-warning to what he was about to do. In a fluid motion, he grabbed Cloud's hands, which were still pressed against his chest, drawing a startled gasp from the blonde, before stooping and pulling the blonde _over_his shoulder. Cloud snorted with surprised laughter, before spluttering as Sephiroth gave him a firm slap over the ass.

"Zack…?" Cloud called out sheepishly, his head still tucked between Sephiroth's arm and side, as I wiped at my slightly sweating brow. Were we really going ahead with this shit? I mean, really? Seemed the only one who wasn't in the least bit nervous was Sephiroth. I guess that made sense in a way though, considering he didn't really have all that much experience in 'normality' when it came to this kind of thing. To him, this was all perfectly reasonable, and not in the least bit… strange…

"Yeah?" I replied slowly, as Cloud attempted to raise his head from its leathery trap. He was awarded with another sharp tap on the rump from Sephiroth, who smirked deviously.

"Never mind," Cloud replied quietly, blushing to the tips of his ears, as he let out a giddy giggle. Heck, if Cloud was getting into it, there was no need for me to feel unsettled, right? First date spent together or not, albeit the weird circumstances, here we were… feelings admitted, and about as turned on as dogs in heat, so…

I settled a suggestive gaze on Sephiroth, whose smirk faltered slightly in response. I gave my best pout, and his smirk returned full force.

"Feeling left out?" He practically purred, leaning forward, tantalizingly close, his breath caressing my face in dizzying warmth. I reached my hand down to run fingers through blonde hair, as Cloud still dangled helplessly over Sephiroth's shoulder, before offering a coy smirk.

"I was just wondering if you were intending to steal Cloud off of me, is all," I murmured, as there was a deep breath from the blonde's lips. He nuzzled against my hand, the gesture seemingly uncontrolled, as Sephiroth gave a small smirk, placing his lips against my ear, almost crushing Cloud between us.

"You stole him first," He murmured teasingly, his tongue emerging to suck slightly on my earlobe, before he pulled back abruptly, leaving me practically yanking Cloud's hair from his head with frustration. What surprised both Sephiroth and I was the low moan that reverberated through the blonde's body at the notion. Sephiroth's eyes flared with the barely concealed lust I felt growing in my own as we exchanged another heated gaze.

"You kinky little minx," Sephiroth murmured, as Cloud let out another indignant snort.

"You know, that's meant to be an insult," He replied haughtily, being silenced once again, by a slap to the rump. He muffled another moan, and I bit back a coy smirk. For some reason, this didn't feel awkward any more. It was just like it had always been, in a way. We were all friends, and even though Cloud hadn't been with us for as long, he still seemed to fit so… naturally… Admittedly, if Sephiroth wasn't as teasing and flirty as he was this may very well have remained awkward. As it was, however, it was just plain fun. I guess what surprised me most though, was Cloud's eagerness regarding the whole thing. Sure, he was a teenager and full of hormonal urges, but was he ready for this kind of thing? I frowned slightly as Sephiroth carried Cloud to the General's bedroom, the blonde flailing against him, giggling bashfully as Sephiroth murmured something to him that I couldn't quite hear.

I hesitated for a few moments, well aware of what I was getting myself into, and suddenly a little thrown off by the idea. My mum and dad were two of the happiest people I knew. They didn't need anyone but _each other_. Did I _need_ more than Cloud? Well fuck, what made me put Cloud first? Wasn't it Sephiroth that I'd been in love with for as long as I could remember? Then okay, Cloud and I could just be friends, right? Did I need more than Sephiroth? My head span slightly.

"Too many questions…" I murmured out loud, before eventually resigning to my thoughts. I couldn't. I couldn't have _just_ Cloud, and I couldn't have _just_ Sephiroth. I wanted… _needed_ them both. Besides, wasn't it me who suggested all of this to begin with? I bit back a little on the wave of unease sweeping over me, as I bravely crossed the final frontier and stepped through Sephiroth's bedroom door.

"Holy mother of Gaia…" I blurted, letting my eyes rake over the sight of Cloud pinned to the king sized bed by the wrists, as a curtain of silver hair hung around him, whilst Sephiroth straddled his hips. They both turned to look at me once I said it; Cloud with a bashful, but entirely too enticing smile, and Sephiroth with a wicked smirk. My breath caught in my throat, even as I forced a cocky grin. I was gay. We were the kinds of people that were meant to be able to flaunt themselves around at will. We were _notorious_ for it.

"He looks good pinned to a bed, does he not?" Sephiroth remarked casually, as Cloud snorted at the remark, a goofy grin along his lips. Blondie was enjoying it, there was no doubt about that.

"Too many clothes," I remarked just as casually, hoping that I was doing as good of a job at being casual, as Sephiroth was. Cloud's eyes went wide at this, and this only seemed to encourage Sephiroth more, who undid the button from the blonde's pants and yanked them clear off in a fluid motion.

"Uck…" Sephiroth rolled his eyes teasingly rolling his eyes, "He wears _underwear_."

"I _have_ to," Cloud huffed, "You've had training before. It's too… bouncy otherwise."

Cloud was playing it cool, but I could see the goose bumps along his legs already, as well as the bulge he was packing in his y-fronts. Sephiroth was working on unbuttoning Cloud's shirt then, taking care to continue pinning him down with a hand as he did so, but it looked as if he were struggling. I realised then that it was, effectively, my cue. I sucked in a breath and shuffled over to the bed, taking Cloud's wrists and holding them down, as he looked up at me, blushing with a mix of apparent arousal and bashfulness. I decided to hell with logical thought, and acted on instinct. Seph had managed to unbutton Cloud's shirt, so I leant down and held Cloud's eyes, slowly closing my own as I pressed my lips against his. I guess I expected him to be as bashful as he was with most things, but instead, he practically shoved his tongue into my mouth and sucked on my tongue within seconds. I smirked against his lips, and he let out a teasing laugh mid kiss. It was cut off with a groan from his mouth, and I looked up to see Sephiroth sliding his hand down the front of Cloud's underwear. I nearly swallowed my tonsils at the sight, until Cloud had boldly stuck his hand out and grabbed a handful of my own growing problem. I sucked in a breath, and Sephiroth smirked coyly.

"He's quite the tease, it seems," He remarked, as Cloud broke our sloppy kiss to turn his eyes to the silver haired General.

"You talk too much," He grinned, before trailing a foot up against Sephiroth's crotch. I almost laughed at the expression on Seph's face, as his mouth dropped slightly, before his expression of surprise turned into something a little more wanton, his fingers stilling on Cloud's skin as he pushed against the blonde's coaxing foot with growing appreciation.

Sephiroth's lips curled into a smirk, as he opened glowing eyes to face me and beckoned with his head for me to lean over. I did so with a half dazed awe of what was really going on, before he grabbed the back of my head and yanked me over the closing distance to kiss me _hard_. I was so out of it, I almost didn't notice Cloud's tugging on my pants. The only thing that drew my attention to the fact was Cloud's little curse words as he fiddled with the button. Sephiroth smirked against my lips this time, before slowly pushing me to help the blonde. I did so, clambering off the bed momentarily, so I could slide out of my pants. It was no easy task, and my… frustration… didn't make it any easier. I had to bend down when my ankles got tangled up in my pants, but Sephiroth clucked his tongue disapprovingly.

"If you're going to do that, turn around," He drawled, a smirk still firmly along his lips. I raised a brow, before doing so, bending over slowly, and giving him a great little view of what I _knew_ was a fine ass. I'd worked on it, after all. He let out a low rumble of approval, but I wasn't sure whether it was because of me, or the fact that Cloud _had_ managed to free Sephiroth's own length from his leather pants and was now stroking it skin on sk- Holy _shit_ Seph was big… I'd seen his junk a few times on missions, or in the shower, but not when he was… hard. I swallowed hard, as Seph leant his head back slightly, showing off all that long, lean, pale muscle, from his now bare chest (Cloud must have stripped him off whilst I was fiddling with my pants) to his long, muscled neck. He was stunning, as always.

I don't think I've ever slipped out of my underwear and kicked off my tangled pants quicker. Cloud turned and eyed me off with approval, as Sephiroth did the same.

"I…" Cloud faltered, seemingly stuck for words, "Maybe you should come back here…"

Sephiroth nodded, and I couldn't help but put in a little swagger as I headed back to the bed. I climbed up, and Sephiroth had a thoughtful expression. I moved to the side of Cloud's head, hoping he'd take a suggestion, even as his fingers reached out and timidly stroked my erection, and- holy fuck, he was good…

"Try this," Sephiroth said, lifting me with surprising ease, as I startled slightly. He'd grabbed me by the waist and plopped me over so I was now straddling the base of Cloud's neck. The blonde offered little more than a warning seductive smile, before his lips slipped over my length in a fluid motion. I couldn't help the groan, and I gripped so hard onto the blonde's arms that I thought I'd broken the skin. The weirdest thing was that Cloud seemed to _like_ it. His face only showed pain for an instant, before a somewhat satisfied smirk crossed over his lips. No way. The supposedly innocent little bundle of love was a masochist of sorts. Cloud let out a long groan then, and I turned my head over my shoulder to see Sephiroth skillfully sliding his fingers into the blonde's entrance. I clenched my eyes and tried to ward off the spine tingle _that_ little image gave me. I had stamina, but fuck this was so… new. And exciting, and freaking _unbelievable…_ A thought then struck me however, and I tensed a little.

"Cloud, have you… have you ever done this before?" I asked, and he smirked up at me, with his lips still firmly around my cock. I clenched my eyes again, as I took in the image. He slid me out though, and nodded.

"What's with everyone seeing me as the epitome of innocence? I've had experience, don't you wo-OH!" He cried, his head falling back on the pillows, as I turned to see Sephiroth smirking, now with two fingers deep inside the blonde. It seemed he'd found a particular sweet spot for the-

"Fuck!" I hissed, as Cloud's mouth slipped over me once again, his teeth dragging slightly, as I let out a small pant of exertion. He came on loose and flexible, but pulling back, he sucked a little tighter, and his fingers came up to toy with my balls.

I turned to look at Sephiroth, and his face was right by mine, his fingers still working the blonde, who was now offering little moans around my aching length. I clenched my eyes again, and Seph took the opportunity to press his lips against mine once more. He bit slightly on my lower lip, and my face twitched slightly with the effort of holding back the waves of pleasure that were seemingly threatening to overcome me. Cloud seemed to feel it, in one way or another, and was slowing his ministrations, but he still couldn't help the little moans of pleasure that Sephiroth was creating. Sephiroth's lips were incessant against mine, as he eased his tongue into my mouth and coaxed mine out to play. I did so _very_ willingly. It was around about then that I felt Cloud's knees hitting against my back, and although I should have seen it coming, I still shuddered when Cloud let out a long groan. Simultaneously, Sephiroth let out an almost carnal growl in my mouth, obviously pleased with how tight Cloud had been upon entry. I too, couldn't help the shaky moan that fell from my lips. It kind of unsettled me, how hauntingly perfect that sound was; the three of us enraptured with pleasure. Cloud was kind of panting now, his lips keeping up their constant pleasuring of my own swollen member, and I trembled as Sephiroth moved against Cloud's hips, all three of us seemingly moving in a rippling effect, rolling along each other's skin as it happened.

"Fuck," Sephiroth huffed against my cheek, as he pulled from my lips, his teeth grinding together slightly. He seemed almost beyond coherent thought, as his tongue reached out, brushing along my throat, before sinking his teeth into it. I let out a louder cry than intended, and briefly, was concerned of the people outside in the hall hearing. Why Sephiroth would ever have an adjoining bedroom to his office, I never would know, but I was thanking Gaia for the convenience of the situation right now. Maybe next time we could do this in Sephiroth's quarters, and I could scream all the compliments in the world.

Cloud was looking up, as Sephiroth's hand gripped one side of my throat, his teeth gripping the other, as he pounded mercilessly into the blonde. Cloud gave a shudder, and I watched as he clenched his eyes. I felt a distinct wet feeling against my ass, and realised then that the blonde had reached climax first. He was biting down slightly, and although it was a little uncomfortable with two sets of teeth in me at the present time, I couldn't help but feel that pang of pleasure through it all. My skin was sweating and shaking with the effort, as Sephiroth pumped steadily harder, and Cloud's lips became tighter and more insistent. Sephiroth's teeth suddenly fell from my throat, and he all but roared as he came, one hand gripping Cloud's hips, as his other hand's fingers dug into my waist. I hissed, but Cloud let out another moan as Sephiroth filled him, and all hope was lost. I clenched my teeth against the shuddering cry threatening to overcome me, as I felt that all too familiar sensation through my entire core. I was silenced from any cries anyway, when Sephiroth tongue once again invaded my mouth, and I clutched Cloud's hair automatically, pumping his slick mouth up and down over me, riding out my climax as it hit full blast. I heard a faint splutter from the blonde, but couldn't even manage to raise a little guilt in my head for almost choking the poor kid. To my surprise though, he swallowed everything down, save for a few drops he'd unintentionally spit out from shock. By the time I'd finished, Sephiroth had pulled out from the blonde and moved to his chest, licking the few drops off my chest. I'd momentarily thought I was going to die for a few moments there, I'd held my breath so fiercely. I shuddered with the residual pleasure, as did Cloud beneath me, but Sephiroth looked almost composed, save for his still greened eyes and sharp breath.

"Mrrrmmmfff…" Cloud blubbered incoherently, as he rolled underneath me and buried his head into a pillow. Sephiroth smirked, as he reached up to brush a hand along my exposed chest.

"I think he means we made a good choice," Seph murmured against my chest, as he leant to press his lips against it. Cloud merely nodded. I rolled off the blonde to lay on my back, and both Cloud and Sephiroth turned to look at me. Cloud's cheeks were flushed from pleasure, but his eyes were obviously drowsy, and even Sephiroth was stifling a yawn behind his fingers. It was then I'd realised he'd left his gloves on the entire time. I looked at them meaningfully, and he smirked deviously.

"I like them," Cloud murmured through his pillow, where he had returned his head. I nodded my approval also, and Sephiroth calmly pulled a blanket over the two of us, before hastily getting dressed.

"You're leaving so soon?" Cloud huffed, turning his head to face the General, who was tugging on those tight leather pants.

"Fuckin' meeting," He laughed, "Was meant to be there twenty minutes ago. Shinra'll be hysterical."

Clouds then sat bolt upright, his eyes wide open as he let out a curse of his own.

"I have classes!" He cried, "Shit!"

Seems I was the only one who _hadn't_ neglected duty for mind blowing threesome sex.

"You can sleep here," Sephiroth said, as if reading my mind, bending over to nip lightly at my nose. It was a strange gesture, but I found it endearing none the less, especially since he wasn't fully dressed yet, and Cloud was struggling to pull on his uniform.

I yawned and slid under the covers further, stretching out across the bed, and Cloud leant over to give both Sephiroth and I a shy peck on the lips, and a cheeky grin, before waving manically and running out the door.

"I could have excused him from classes," Sephiroth sighed, pulling his boots back on, and sitting on the bed to do so.

"He tries real hard to be good at school and the likes," I shrugged, feeling a little strange at how casual everything seemed to be. I'd just had sex with my best friend and the object of my desires. Well, they were _both_ the objects of my desire. Well… They were also both my best friends… Technically, it wasn't sex on my behalf anyway, except for the oral kind, but…

"This should feel strange," I remarked out loud, and Seph turned to face me, a curtain of silver locks falling across his shoulder as he did so.

"No," He smiled, softer than I'd expected, "It should feel normal."

I smiled a little to myself, turning my gaze from his.

"It does…" I agreed, "I guess it's something I need to get used to."

"I don't know about you," He murmured, leaning down to press his lips against my ear, "But I could get used to this _very_ quickly…."

I rolled my eyes, even as he nibbled at my lobe.

"Sleep," He said firmly, "I want you feeling refreshed for tonight."

"Tonight?" I frowned, and he nodded.

"I suppose you and I should go on a date," He smirked teasingly, as he grabbed his coat and headed for the door, "I'll be back at six."

I nodded, as he slid out the door and left me in the darkened room. I barely had time to try and comprehend everything that had just _blown my freaking mind_, before I felt my eyelids getting heavy, and I drifted off to sleep.

Life was _weird_. But so far, I liked it.

* * *

**A/N:** I kinda wanted to slap Zack for a bit there, just for being too damn logical. –Sigh-

Big _big_ thank you to the wonderful Wintersheart1766 and the beautiful BunnyNeko, who told me what they thought in advance.


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